


Mythal's Grace

by nikki_ntm



Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age: Origins, Kingdom Hearts
Genre: Crossover, Friendship/Love, Love Triangles, M/M, Romance, Slice of Life, Unrequited Love, War
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-07-08
Updated: 2015-07-09
Packaged: 2018-04-08 08:14:31
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 24
Words: 21,987
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4297314
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nikki_ntm/pseuds/nikki_ntm
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Lea flees the Circle at Kinloch Hold in the midst of Ulred’s rebellion. Washed ashore, he is saved by a Dalish elf set for Denerim together with his clan to assist in the battle against the Archdemon and its army of Darkspawn. Lea has no choice but to follow.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Mythical Creature

**Author's Note:**

> For Akusaimonth Challenge @ tumblr.

* * *

Small waves splashed against the soggy shore. The heavens roared, colored by the war erupting in Kinloch Hold. Lea could still hear the wicked screeches from the Fade. People he had grown up with, come to care for, had given into the treacherous promises blood magic gave. Templars had fallen by the dozens. Darkspawn had filled the corridors, an unbearable stench with them. Lea had dragged Roxas down floor after floor past demons, templars and the bodies of their old comrades. Far from everyone could afford taking a stand.  Roxas had been of another mind. The templars ought to be punished for abusing their power, and though Lea agreed, it wasn’t a cause he was willing to die for. Their window of escape had been within reach. They could have made it out together, but Roxas had decided against it. At the very last minute, Roxas pulled his hand back, out from Lea’s grasp, and with a small dagger made a cut across his hand.

    “I’m sorry, Lea.”

   A wave of his hand had Lea fall out the window. No scream of plea had Roxas reconsider and Lea’s magic was not strong enough to counter Roxas’. The fall had been long, the water rough, cold, enough to weaken the will of the strongest of men.

  Lea collapsed on the beach of gravel, soaked to the bone, his dress heavy with water. Lake Calenhald had nearly claimed his life. Accidental drowning was still better than to die at the hand of templars, or worse, abominations.

    The Imperial Road should lay ahead. A road to freedom away from the Circle of Magi. The thought was meant to incentivate, but the distance from certain death revealed that Lea had not escaped unscathed. Roxas’ bloodsplatter had turned Lea’s dress to an armor heavier than those of the templars. The clouds lit purple once more followed by a torrential rain. Lea closed his eyes. The thunder masked a helpless sob and a wish to return to his prison.

-x-

The sun was unforgiving to a newly become apostate. It burned fiercely like a Rage Demon and showed as much mercy as one. The small gravel dug into Lea’s back. His tongue stuck to the roof of his mouth. His lips cracked with thirst. Heat had him fall in and out of eerie dreams where he chased his beloved friend down empty corridors. The hands of templars and demons alike reached for him, grabbed at him whilst he ran, until finally a voice broke through the deafening silence.

    “He’s alive.”

    “Leave him. A shemlen is no good to us now.”

    “But a Qunari is?”

   Lea grunted when his head was lifted up and left to rest against a soft bundle of cloth. Slender fingers dampened his dry lips with cold, fresh, water. A wooden cup was brought to him for drink and what glorious drink it was. He could have drunk the whole of Lake Calenhald to never have to experience thirst again, but his savior begged for restraint unless Lea wished to be sick.

    The sun had long set by the time Lea woke again. Instead he found himself inching closer to a real fire to keep warm in the desolate night with nothing but a clear sky above. His savior sat on the other side of the small campfire, stringing a magnificent bow. Lea would have recognized his savior’s kind long before seeing the bow. The Halla pelt he laid on had been proof enough. With eyes wide he studied his savior, the long pointy ears, the beautiful eyes and lean face. An elf. Lea had never seen an elf for himself. He had only heard and read stories about the Alienages where free elves lived in misery. Few elven mages had made it to the Circle at Kinloch Hold. The templars prefered them dead, fearful of their ancient roots to magic and demons. The elf before him did not look starved nor was he a mage. Dalish, Lea thought in wonder. The nomadic elves were things of legend. They were difficult to find, an encounter near as scarce as one with a unicorn.

    “You finally awoke, shemlen. I was afraid we had lost you to the Void,” said the elf and put his bow aside. He brushed a lock of blue hair behind his ear to reveal a faint tattoo on his temple. It stretched across his forehead and around his eyes. “I’ve prepared supper. It isn’t much. We are on rations until we reach Denerim. But I’m sure you’ll be happy for it. You must be famished.” He smiled softly and reached for a bowl by the fire to give to Lea.

    Supper was stripes of Halla meat and three small potatoes. Though little, it was without a doubt the most delicious meal Lea had had and not a trace of it went to waste. It tasted of kindness and warmth, that which Lea had been promised never to receive should he flee the Circle.

    “Thank you,” Lea said to the elf once his bowl was near clean. “Thank you for saving me.”

    “I would hold onto my thanks in your shoes, shemlen,” the elf said.

    “Why?”

    “I’m afraid everything comes at a price nowadays with the Blight breathing down our necks. My clan has been summoned out west to fight the Darkspawn. We are not very keen on keeping humans in our company but we were ambushed outside of Haven and we need all able bodies we can find. I was only free to give you rations if I convinced you to join our cause.”

    “And if I don’t?”

    The elf looked at the forest behind Lea and then back.

    “I would join our cause if I were you. It will do you well, shemlen. Food and protection. It is more than most have in these dire times. Can you fight?”

    Kinloch Hold was barely visible in the fog over the lake, but Lea saw enough to be reminded of the horde of templars that would be searching the area for any apostate mages. Food and protection was more than Lea had ever had and if he were to live a life away from the Chantry’s control, he would need help.

    A nod and his fate was sealed.


	2. Rainbow

* * *

The Dalish nurtured Lea back to health on his friend’s request. Lea had not asked for his name and thought himself inconsiderate for his blunder. None of the caretakers at the camp’s infirmary wanted to reveal it to him. “It’s not a shemlen’s place to ask,” one had said. He was an elder elf, his hair long and blond, and eyes full of disdain. None of which showed in his care for Lea’s wounds. Two days later, Lea could stand again. A wonder considering that no magic had been used to heal him.

    The first he did was to leave the tent. The more he was studied the more uneasy he felt. It would not take long for the caretakers to discover that he was an apostate. A Dalish clan set for war would not want trouble with the templars. The camp was alive with warriors sat around small camp fires, speaking of old tales in a language that was unlike anything Lea had heard. He had read Elvish, but he had never imagined it would sound like this. He sought for his savior amongst the group but found first a large beast sat with a group at the outskirts of camp by the Keeper’s tent. A Qunari. Lea had heard legends of their conquering, their brutality and unyielding faith in the Qun. Roxas had once compared the templars to the Qunari as jest. It had been a grave mistake. The jest had Roxas almost turned into a Tranquil. This Qunari in particular, though great in size, seemed peaceful where he sat surrounded by elves. But then he turned his head to glare straight at Lea from across the camp. Lea nearly swallowed his tongue in fear and quickly shifted his attention elsewhere.

  He found his savior on the other side of the camp. The elves around him were rowdy, discussing and laughing, a complete opposite to what Lea remembered ever reading in a book.

   “Shemlen!” said one of the younger elves as a warning at seeing Lea approach them. Lea had quickly taken dislike to that word. It meant ‘human’, but many of the elves here said it with such hatred they might as well have called him an abomination.

   “Join us,” said Lea’s savior and moved down the log he was sitting on to make room. “We’re having supper.”

    “Your rations is with our Keeper, shemlen,” said another elf. Lea would have listened and gone back, but he would much rather take his chances with an uppity elf than an irked Qunari. He sat down on the trunk and gladly accepted the wooden bowl his savior offered him. At the shore, he had eaten with his bare hands and slobbered like a beast. Now, he ate with restraint to not give his company more reason to dislike him, but still they were offended.

    “Should I be using cutlery?” Lea asked his savior in a low voice.

    “Eat in peace, shemlen. They are not upset with you but with our history.”

  “I’m Lea. Call me Lea. Please,” Lea smiled at him politely. Should his savior take to call him ‘shemlen’ like the others, Lea feared he might burst into tears.

    “I’m Isa.”

   Lea offered him his hand for a greeting, forgetting that his fingers were soaked in the juice of the strips of meat he had been eating. Isa handed him a cloth and chuckled as Lea discovered small specks of food on himself. The ominous clouds of chaos that had emerged at the uprising of the mages had not dispersed when Lea had laid on the shore, roasting in the sun. They had lingered and promised him endless rain. The Maker had no reason to hear his pleas for freedom. Yet the rain had ceased and the dark clouds were pulling back. In the southern village that had once been home to Lea the villagers always looked for signs of better times after torrential rain. The most certain sign was a rainbow. Lea had found his in Isa.


	3. Food

* * *

The life of the Dalish was one of extremes. Necessities were never taken for granted and hard, honest work did not secure survival. Sources of food were scarce. The Darkspawn had either scared or killed off most wildlife in their path. Some speculated Orzammar had fallen at last and that the Deep Roads were now open for any and all Darkspawn summoned to the surface. The clan’s best hunters were usually sent ahead in hopes they would find food to feed themselves and the rest. Amongst the best was Isa. Several days could go by before Lea saw him again. While Isa spent his time hunting, Lea spent his time looking at the horizon for the hunters’ return. Though most elves were civil with him, they lacked a welcoming quality Lea had only experienced with Isa. Leaving the Circle was for a mage perhaps like a chicklet coming to the world. They would imprint on the first nurturing soul that came their way. Lea spent every possible moment with Isa, fawning over his endless skills, speaking to him as though he had spent a lifetime saving every word he could utter. Isa had yet to show annoyance with him, he prefered teasing Lea instead.

     Walking for miles and miles on end had taken its toll on Lea’s feet. His soles were turned to blisters and his shoes were splitting at the seams for the misuse. Life outside the Circle was an exhaustion Lea had not known until now. Everything ached; legs, arms, back, feet. There were no walls to put an end to their walking, no templars to tell them where their world ended and where it began. Nights were even worse than the days spent in hunger and aches. Exhaustion was not enough to assure him a night of sleep. Nightmares haunted him. Every night was another failed attempt at saving Roxas from the templars’ clutches and every morning was a bitter reminder.

     “Could you teach me how to use a bow?” Lea asked Isa late one evening as they leisurely walked back to the tents. It was one of the few luxuries the Dalish had, to not lay under bare skies when rain fell. Isa had showed him a map of the Imperial Road. The sea lay mere miles up north. It made the weather unpredictable.

     “Are you not supposed to wield a sword?”

   “With these threads for arms?” Lea countered and held his arms forward to show Isa what he meant.

   “You have to start somewhere,” Isa smiled. “I’m sure if we could get you some food, you would grow into the size of a Qunari in no time at all.”

   “That’s not a bad idea. Let me come with you on your next hunting trip. I’ll bring back a kill. I swear on it.”

    “You and those threads?” Isa huffed and earned a playful shove. "Leave the hunting to me. It would be a shame were you to fall before we made it to Denerim."

    "Right, because the Archdemon will be a sight for sore eyes. Let me come with you. If anything it will give the rest less reason to glare my way should I bring back food."

     "Fine, but you will have to follow my lead."

    Two days later the hunters stood ready to leave. It was before sunrise. The dew on the grass dampened Lea's shoes and the chilly breeze had him shiver. They walked through dense forest in silence for hours, tracking for animals. There were scarce birds let alone any larger animal with more meat on their bones. The hunters did not want to waste any arrows for naught.

    Lea found a small stick that fit in the palm of his hand. Back in the Circle, Lea had been messy. His books towered over his chaotic desk. It had been near impossible to find anything of his. Roxas, being one of little patience, taught Lea a hex to find what he sought. As a novice he could only find smaller things. Roxas had been much better at it. The stick levitated, the three hunters oblivious to it as they soldiered ahead. Lea deviated from the path once given an indication from the stick. He would not need bow nor sword for his first hunt.

    A lonely ram stood by a small pool of water. It dug in the wet moss restlessly as it drank water. Years had gone since he had seen an animal in anything other than books. The foreign smell of its wet fur and the sound of its growls had Lea’s heart beat with the force of thunder. Lea took a deep breath and held it in. A flame licked the palm of his hand. The ram looked up, startled, but it was too late. The flame in Lea's hand exploded from the ground underneath it and engulfed the creature in merciless fire.

    The smell of burnt fur lay thick over the ram. Its legs jerked as if it was still trying to run. Lea walked up to it slowly, holding his hand over his nose. The Dalish hunters were yelling for him, but Lea could not find his voice. He stared at his kill, trembling at the scene. The templars never missed an opportunity to tell the mages how destructive their powers were. Mages had brought about Darkspawn. They were the reason there was a Blight. And now proof lay before Lea as a testament to the monstrosity that resided within him.

    "Lea!" Isa came running toward him. He grabbed Lea by his shoulders to help him stand straight. He only glimpsed at the animal at first, much too worried about Lea to question the smoulders left in its remaining fur. "Are you hurt? Did it attack you?"

    "I killed it," Lea said weakly and shrugged. "It was having some water and I just..."

    "Just what?" Isa walked around the animal. "Lea, it's… roasted. What... what happened?"

    "Is this bad even if my intentions were good?"

    Isa did not answer. The frown on his beautiful face said it all. Lea's secret was out and he would have to face the world's reaction to an apostate in his own flesh.


	4. Fireplace

* * *

The First had taken over soon after the Keeper had fallen at the unforeseen attack in Haven. His name was Terra, a man of strength and few words. Lea had heard whispers of him. He hadn't always been a man of few words. The sudden loss of their Keeper had been a harsh blow to morale and Terra had been forced to shoulder a mourning clan while still in grief. Terra was caught in the former Keeper’s shadow and he did not know how to step out of it. His hatred for humans was well-known amongst the elves in his clan. Should he find out that Lea was an apostate too, Lea feared he would meet a painful end.

    Isa had said nothing to the others and he had spoken very little with Lea afterward. They made it back to camp late in the evening, carrying the animal in pieces. Lea had thought of escaping. He had escaped from the templars once, but well in camp, it was too late. He had nowhere to go and no strength left to keep walking. The death of the ram haunted him. Its lifeless eyes sickened him. Perhaps there was sin in him, after all.

    Lea sat down by a lonely campfire and sought Isa's eyes but found only a cold shoulder. Isa went with the two other hunters to the Keeper’s tent. Imprisonment lay in his immediate future until they could find a templar. Maybe they would try to exchange him for food or sell him off as a slave. Humans had done the same with elves in much greater scale.

    Mages were born in sin. A lump lay thick and insistent in Lea's throat. He was a sin but still he wanted to live as though he wasn't. There had to be more to life than the Circle and the Chantry. Roxas would have fought for his right. Hopefully, he still was. Lea wiped his tears away and stared bitterly into the faint flames.

    "They are happy with the meat."

    Isa sat down by Lea and glanced at him

    "What happens to me?" Lea asked.

    "You will get your share too."

    "What?" Lea snivelled.

   "I've grown fond of you, shemlen," Isa admitted and smiled bashfully. "But please, keep your gift hidden. Our new Keeper would make use of you should he discover your secret."

    "I will keep it hidden. I promise. I will not make you regret this, Isa. Thank you. Thank you, thank you." Lea left his place by the campfire to embrace Isa. He pulled him in close and realized only that he had been shivering when Isa patted his back.

    "At ease, soldier, or you will raise suspicion."

    "Sorry." Lea sat back, a smile on his face. "Do I not frighten you?"

    "Do you make use of blood magic?" Isa mouthed the last two words with glances back.

    Lea shook his head.

    "Andraste's honest truth," Lea said.

   "In that case, no. You do not frighten me. We usually have at least two mages per clan; our Keeper and the First. Sometimes, a Second. We lost two and our new Keeper was not blessed with magic. He dislikes humans, but hates human mages more. So, please."

    "I will be careful."

    "Do you have any relatives to go back to?" Isa asked.

  "I don't know. I was taken away by the templars when I was six. I accidentally set our neighbor's barn on fire in my sleep. My village was to the south. If Loitering has fallen, my village has too."

    "Many escaped to Kirkwall in the Free Marches. Your family could be amongst the refugees."

    "Even if that were true, I cannot leave. I'm waiting for a friend."

    "Is it a special friend?" Isa looked at him intently.

    "Very."

   "I understand." Isa looked at the fire and then at his boots. "I will go get your share of meat." Before Lea could answer, Isa hurried back to the tents.


	5. Jokes

* * *

The ram Lea had brought back to camp had scarce quenched the hunger, but the animal had meant much more than food. It could not have been alone in the forest. The clan thought it a sign that their elven gods were watching over them and would provide them with the tools they needed to survive. Whether true or not, Lea was merely thankful for the diminishing hostility toward him. His comrades were easier to speak to even though their bonds would most likely never stretch beyond shallow pleasantries. The Keeper had taken to keep a closer look on Lea. Lea’s small gain of influence had rocked the Keeper’s frail confidence.

   Lea walked from tent to tent in search for Isa. His elven friend had a tendency to disappear for long hours at a time without consulting with anyone. Lea attributed it as an elven custom, but missed him none the less.

   “Sorry.” Lea peeked into the armory tent and found the blacksmith and a guard in idle conversation. “Have you seen Isa around? I can’t seem to find him anywhere.”

    “Seeking your ‘ _Ma’sal’shiral_ , are you?” snorted the guard.

    "Yes, my friend Isa. He is a bit shorter than me, long blue hair with small braids at the front. He's one of your best hunters."

    "You will suffocate him, shemlen."

    "With my friendship?" Lea asked in hopes they would find him amusing., but thus far, Isa was the only one who had laughed at Lea's silly attempts at jokes.

    "With whatever ideas you are filling his head with. Our customs differ. Humans have an ungodly gift to have others forget it," said the blacksmith.

     A few slices of meat had not been nearly enough to befriend these two.

   "As you were then, gentle elves," Lea said with a half-hearted salute, still hopeful that his wit would win them over. The stern glares were proof it hadn't.

    Isa turned much later. Sunlight was fading quickly. The campfires had long been set and the soldiers were stirring their pots of edible vegetables they had found along the way. Isa held a bunch of flowers in a gentle grasp. He studied them, removed small imperfections while he strolled into camp.

     "I've been looking for you," Lea said as soon as Isa had sat down beside him. "Where were you?"

    "I was out picking flowers."

    "All by yourself? There are darkspawns roaming around, Isa. Maker forbid anything should happen to you."

    "You are fussing," Isa said calmly. "I am the best hunter here. You shouldn't worry." Isa looked up from the flowers to meet Lea’s gaze. “How did you entertain yourself in my absence?”

    “I bumped into the Qunari. He speaks very little. And what little he did say was about the Qun. He must have sensed my disinterest. He walked away mid-sentence.”

    “The Qunari are renowned for their direct ways. They do not waste their time.”

    “Are you saying I’m a waste of time?” Lea pouted.

    “To the Qunari, maybe, but certainly not to me.”

   Lea’s cheeks flushed a faint red. Isa’s ways were also direct. Had he been a mage, his honesty would have gotten him in severe trouble. Lea had learned scheming and lying to avoid punishment and he had wasted many years by doing so. Roxas had insisted on escaping for the past five years. It had taken a disastrous rebellion for Lea to make his way past layers of denial and come to a decision, which in the end, was not one he had made.

    “I have something for you,” Isa said and held up a flower crown he had made with the flowers he had picked. Lea could identify Embrium, Prophet’s Laurel and Elfroot in the colorful crown. The scent of it was sweet and relaxing and Lea had to close his eyes for a brief moment when Isa put it on him.

    Roxas had grown up in a farm south of Denerim. He had lived near acres of lavender fields and each summer, late at night, he would run across them with his friends. The lavender belonged to the King of Ferelden. It was the closest a mage would ever get to the castle, Roxas had said in grim moments. Most memories of his time on the farm he remembered fondly. His friends had been protective of him and even tried to attack the templars that had been sent there to take him away.

    The scent of the flower crown reminded Lea of Roxas’ stories, about the jokes he made about his work as a farmer. At times of study, Roxas would either slip him notes or whisper the jokes to him as they stood by the grand book shelves.

    “Why do cowboys always die with their boots on?”

   “Why?”

_“So they won’t stub their toes when they kick the bucket.”_

    Lea chuckled fondly at the memory.

    “Do you like it?” Isa asked and smiled softly.

    “Yes, I love it,” Lea said with a smile. “Thank you.”


	6. Except You

* * *

Not a morning went by without Lea waking next to a flower. Isa said nothing of them nor did he claim responsibility, but who else in camp would walk up the hills in search for flowers to place beside Lea? The others had taken to glare at Lea more than usual. Lea was certain that it was not the flowers that had them all upset but the extra servings of meat he received thanks to Isa. None suffered directly from it. Isa gave Lea a large portion of his share. It didn’t make matters any better. Isa was the clan’s most skilled hunter. They needed him to be at his best and they were all certain that with less food he was signing his death sentence.

    Lea had struggled with putting up the tents all day. He had failed to secure the nails to the ground properly and on two occasions the ropes had loosened and the tents had collapsed. With bruised pride after a thorough scolding, Lea sat on a trunk nearby, rubbing his thighs that still ached with the long, day-consuming walks.

    “Lea!” Isa jogged to him, still in his hunting attire. “Are you busy?”

    “Only with licking my wounds. Parthon yelled at me for taking too long with the tents.”

   “Are you that easily wounded, Lea?” Isa teased. “You need thicker skin. Come, we have time before supper. Let’s see if your thready arms can hold a bow.”

     “What?” came the voice of a youngster from a nearby campfire. “Are you going to practice with the shemlen? I thought I was next on the list!” Hatholdir, hunter in training, had been pestering Isa for tutoring since before Lea had joined the group.

    “Oh, hush, Hatholdir,” said another elf, small in stature but with great influence. Ienzo, the one with the Qunari. “Can you not see that our brother is hunting at the moment? Shame that his prey is as clueless as any other of his kind.”

    “Come, Lea,” Isa urged.

   It was a waste of time even trying to understand what the others said. With such disdain toward him, Lea had made it a habit to not listen to them. There were many frightening things about Qunari, but their notion of only granting time to those who were worthy was one Lea wanted to adopt wholeheartedly.

    On top of a small hill, in the midst of pine trees, Isa had set up a wooden board. The face of a Highland Dragon stared back at Lea from the piece of wood. An Archdemon was nothing like an a Highland Dragon. It was like comparing apples to sea monsters. Lea brought it to Isa’s attention while Isa put a bow and arrow in his hands.

    “We all have to start somewhere. A Highland Dragon will do for now,” Isa had said.

  Archery was much more than aim and shoot. Isa complained about Lea’s posture and used an arrow to urge him back into right form. The first hour, when pride had not worn off with physical exhaustion, Lea complied to the best of his abilities. But soon posture was the least of his worries. The string cut into his fingers. The drizzle and cold numbed his fingertips.

    “Have you given up, soldier?” Isa asked as he paced behind Lea. “Back straight. Shoulders down. Chin up. Breathe.”

     Lea did not last much longer. He could scarce clench his fists when Isa took the bow from him. Every muscle in his body ached as it had his first weeks with the Dalish and he found himself glaring at Isa when he gently brought Lea’s hands closer for inspection.

    “Have you ever taken a life, Lea?” Isa asked.

    “I… took that ram’s life, didn’t I?” Lea lowered his gaze onto his blistered hands.

 “It is not the same. Killing the ram was necessity. The Blight does strange thing to people. It spreads an incurable illness. Killing Darkspawn is bad enough. You think you will feel better killing them, but seeing evil embodied, the awful things they do. It will change you. Are you prepared for it?”

   “As prepared as anyone, I think.” Lea was hesitant.

   Isa dug in a pouch for bandage and glanced at Lea.

   “Does it not frighten you?”

  “Everything frightens me,” Lea admitted. “I’m an apostate. Human amongst Dalish. In the midst of the Fifth Blight.”

   “Forced to fight a war that’s not yours,” Isa added bitterly.

   “Or yours.”

   “Did you know of the Blight when you decided to escape?”

 “The demons whispered of it. The Templars must have known beforehand. They had been insufferable. We were reminded daily that mages lay behind the Blight, of Darkspawns. Our world is always at risk of damnation due to our weakness. It did more harm than good, I think.”

   Lea tested bending his fingers and looked at the bandage covering his blisters.

   “Is the world at all like you imagined it? Are you happy that you escaped?”

  “Aren’t you full of questions today,” Lea smiled. “The Chantry warned us about the hatred for mages. I don’t like admitting that it is hurtful to have verified it to be true. And now I’m disliked for being human, too. The Maker has a twisted sense of humor.”

    “I’m glad our paths crossed. Is that selfish?” Isa’s eyes had the color of a summer sky, free of grey clouds, radiant with sunshine.

   “I’m glad, too.” Lea blushed and looked away. “As tough as it has been, you have given me hope that all is not lost for mages. You could have left me at the shore, told on me, left me to fend for myself. You are an invaluable friend to me, Isa.”

    Isa stepped closer. He sought eye contact. The cerulean blue, his aura of sincerity, lay Lea’s soul bare in his unyielding gaze. Lea stood planted, fearing that any movement would have him spill all of his sins and secrets.

    “I was hoping I could be more than a friend to you, Lea.”

  “More than?” Lea stuttered. He knew what it meant. Though highly forbidden, many mages had intimate liaisons, some even with templars. Most relationships Lea had heard of were of carnal desire. Few had the courage to admit openly to their feelings in fear of outing a weakness others could use for their own benefit.

    “If you need time, I understand,” Isa quickly added. “Know that whatever you answer, my friendship to you will remain the same. And, also, apologies, if I have burdened you. I realized, as I spoke, that there are many factors I failed to take into consideration before confessing…” Isa averted his eyes. His cheeks flushed red and he took a step back.

    As dark as the world was, Lea was glad to have stepped into it, if only for the sight of Isa blushing for him.


	7. Royalty

* * *

Archery practice became routine. Isa swore that Lea’s blisters would soon fade and turn to the tough skin he needed to withstand the hardships of battle. Lea wanted to believe him. Other elves had commented on Lea’s improved posture. Ienzo had stopped by their campfire late one night and had said nothing. He had squeezed Lea’s upper arms curiously, given a look of awe and then gone.

   The Keeper had taken to call Isa to him. At times the Keeper could be speaking with Isa until the fire turned to smoulders. Lea would wait as patiently as he could. Between hunting and archery practice, they had not had opportunity to spend their time together leisurely by the fire.

    “The Keeper wants you in his tent,” said Isa one evening.

    “Me? What for?” Lea rose to his feet. “Have I done wrong?”

    “Not to my knowledge. You’ve been careful with your…?”

   “It’s been weeks since I used it last,” Lea said, wiping the palms of his hands against his sides. “Has he been scolding you?”

   “He has been lecturing me to remind me of my role in the clan. But for our Keeper, that is normal. Be careful with what you say to him.” Isa had held Lea’s hand briefly before Lea walked toward the tent. It calmed Lea, strengthed him for what was to come.

    The Keeper’s tent was the same as the other’s with the only difference being its color. A gray-haired elf stood guarding the tent. Lea had had very little to do with the elves of higher rank. He knew their titles, but not their names. This particular elf had eyes the color of amber and the sneer of a demon.

   The Keeper Terra was a sturdy man. Lea had never seen him fight, but Isa had told him that the Keeper favored greatswords. In particular one given to him by their former Keeper. It hummed when drawn, a song of Death. Lea felt no comfort in seeing the Keeper sharpening the edges of his sword when he stepped inside and the curtains were closed behind him.

    “Our talk is long overdue, shemlen,” said the Keeper. He did not look from his sword until he had inspected it closely and deemed it proper. “I’m sure it is no secret what we Dalish think of your kind. But war makes for curious bedmates, wouldn’t you say?”

     “Yes,” Lea said with a nod.

     “I’ve heard troubling things. I wish to clear things with you to make your stay as free of trouble as possible.”

     “I’m all ears.”

   “Isa is our best hunter. He will be vital in our battle against the Darkspawn marching for Denerim. He is important to my clan. You are misleading him, shemlen.”

     “I… it has not been my intention. I’m grateful for the opportunity I’ve been given. Isa has done his best to turn me into an asset to the group. I have improved and I hope to prove myself when time comes.”

    “You do not seem to understand my meaning, shemlen. I do not want you near my best hunter. I do not want you to take his time. You are only with us until we join our brethren. I will not have any more of my people lost to the likes of you.” The Keeper all but growled past clenched teeth.

    “Are you...forbidding me to see Isa?” Lea asked. His mouth was dry. He could scarce bear the hours between their meetings. “Can you even do that?”

      The Keeper glared at Lea as though he had dishonored Andraste herself in front of the Divine.

      “I am King of my clan, shemlen. The responsibility of keeping my clan alive lies on me. Shems are threats. It is by my grace that you have not been struck down. You are to do what I command you to while you travel with us. Should my commands inconvenience you, shem, you are free to leave unless you want to die by my hand.”

     Lea had been raised to fear authority. Templars had put the fear of the Maker in him as it were. Templars were merely knights. Kings were things of fairytales. Men who had risen high enough to be as unreachable as gods. This Dalish clan was Lea’s only place of comfort. This world had replaced his old one and he was the furthest thing from ready to once more begin anew.

    Lea’s heart was heavy when he stepped out of the Keeper’s tent. He gave the camp a sweeping look in hopes to find Isa. Isa had moved to sit with Ienzo, Hatholdir and the Qunari. That camp fire was closer to the Keeper’s tent. Their eyes met. Lea wanted to go to him, but what fool would go against the direct orders of a King?

 

 


	8. Skin

* * *

The healer's tent did not see much activity. The Dalish were used to the nomadic life and had grown accustomed to nature. Healer Even was not glad about Lea’s new assignment in his tent. He did not care for the extra pair of hands, but did not speak loudly of it. Parthon had told Lea to use the area behind the tent as a practice range for archery and helped Lea with it. Such was his boredom that Parthon had come to his rescue.

    Soon Lea learned that not even the Dalish were safe from the hazards in nature. The lack of wildlife had slackened their care in the forest. A young Dalish hunter apprentice was brought into the tent with large claw wounds across his chest. A bear had shown out of nowhere when the elf had gone out to collect Elfroots. A part of Lea feared that soon Isa would be brought in as well. Even ordered Lea to fetch him bandages and to fill a wooden bowl with water. Lea took too long with his task. Even hurried out of the tent, cursing under his breath as he went to fetch clean cloths to wash the wounds clean. No cloth would be enough to wash the three gaping flesh wounds and have them healed. The elf lay shaking, pale as a sheet, eyes rolling back into his head. The stench of blood was nauseating and Lea nearly vomited into the bowl of water.

    “I don’t want to die…” muttered the elf through sobs. He prayed to an elven god, pleaded for his life.

    Weeks had gone by since Lea had used any magic. If he ever were to use it again, it would be to help ease the pain of those around him. Roxas had been of the idea of using magic for good, to the benefit of the common people, not the Chantry. Lea wanted to follow that path. He placed his hand above the wounds. A shimmer of green light had the wounds close slowly. The elf cried out in pain. Lea pulled his hand away and hurried to the back of the tent to pretend to be searching for cloth when Even ran back in to comfort the injured elf. He stared in awe.

    “Shemlen!” he barked.

    “A second! I still can’t find the cloth. You will have to use something else or he will bleed out.”

    “By Mythal’s grace, it is a miracle. A miracle.”

    Lea’s deed had gone by unnoticed. Word spread through camp of the miraculous recovery. The Keeper came by to visit the young elf. Their conversations left Lea wondering what the Keeper would make of the event. Even informed him soon enough. They suspected the Elfroots to be the cause of it. The young elf drew a map of where he had found these particular Elfroots. The hunters were said to be too busy to be sent on errands to gather herbs. Lea was instead bestowed with the task. Even had called it a chance to prove himself to the Keeper. Lea only cared for getting away from his company. As a human, he had no deeming qualities in the eyes of the Keeper.

    The trees stood far apart in the forest Lea entered. He walked alongside a creek and picked all the Elfroots he came across. He had brought his bow to fend against the bear, should he encounter it. A bear could feed the whole camp, yet Lea did not feel inclined to kill again. The poor bear had surely been feasting on these berries when the elf came along and frightened it. All the time in leisure had allowed Lea to restore and reinforce his shoes. He had not walked in high grass since his last hunt and his test showed that his shoes still needed to be improved. They absorbed the moisture and soon his feet would be soaked.

    An odd patter against the bedrock surrounding the creek had Lea freeze where he was squatted by a plant. Lea looked ahead, frightened to see the monstrous bear that had nearly clawed that elf’s heart out. Feasting or not, Lea had no intention of falling victim for it. He was met by another sight altogether. Isa sat by the creek. He had put his weapons aside and undressed. Lea held his breath. Isa was here to wash clean. He stepped into the creek. The water came to his waist. He tensed his shoulders at the coldness of it, shuddered and breathed a curse. A double countdown from three to one had him soon dip all the way to his neck. _Do you miss me?_ Lea’s mouth hung open as he watched Isa play in the water. Soft sunlight revealed the faint pattern of Dalish tattoos on his body. Lea had seen similar patterns on the other hunters. A burning yearning tugged in the pit of Lea’s stomach as his eyes ran down Isa’s body, caught every muscle flex when Isa shivered in the cold water. Lea’s legs folded to his side as Isa rose from the water to lay down on the bedrock and bask in the sunlight.

    Time ceased to pass as Lea watched him. Only the shouts of the other huntsmen broke his trance. He saw Isa take cover as three elves emerged from the forest and jumped into the creek, splashing the bedrock with water. Lea hurried to take his leave, clutching at his bag full of Elfroots to steady himself all the way back.

 


	9. Touch

* * *

Should Lea ask anyone for Isa’s whereabouts he would receive no answer. He was not to see Isa. It was the Keeper’s orders. No one would risk enraging him for a human. Instead Lea walked amongst the camp fires and eavesdropped for information. A few nights of work revealed Isa’s possible location. A promise of Elfroots was all that was needed for Even to allow Lea to spend his day in the forest.

    Isa had asked to be more than friends. Lea had not thought of the possibility of more intimate relationships until Isa had mentioned it. Lea was out of the Circle, away from their rules, but still he thought it necessary to live by them. The fire in the pit of his stomach had not once vanished since the day by the creek. He could not close his eyes without seeing Isa bathing, his beauty bare for Lea to enjoy.

    The sun was setting when Lea sprinted through the woods. He sought the landmarks he had heard mentioned. Isa was to be by the Caves of Rabbits. Lea tripped over moist roots and patches of moss all the while thinking he was to find a cave shaped like rabbit until he saw a flock of rabbits scatter away in the opposite direction of the small mountain. It was a gamble to follow them. He was quickly running out of daylight and a torch would only help him so much. Perhaps the Keeper had planned this all along. If Lea was lost in the woods, they could leave him behind. As soon as the last sliver of sun disappeared, another light lit up in a hidden cave. It danced in the same manner as a camp fire. Lea approached the cave cautiously. Isa was pacing inside. He was out of his hunting gear. His bow stood propped against a rounded corner. There were no kills hanging over the fire.

     “Isa…” Lea said and watched him jolt at his name.

     “You made it.” Isa smiled.

    “I was sent out for Elfroots. I lost my way and I saw the light. Would it cause you trouble with the Keeper if I stay with you until morning?”

      Isa led him into the cave and pulled him in close while he spoke. Lea closed his eyes when Isa’s lips ghosted against his. Isa’s body was warm and enticing. Lea knew the tattoos by heart and found it increasingly more difficult to curb his need to touch them.

    “Do you have an answer for me yet, Lea?” Isa asked breathlessly.

    “I have. I have spent days agonizing in my yearning for you, Isa.”

   “Serves you right for making me wait this long.” Isa cupped Lea’s face with gentle hands and placed a chaste kiss on his lips. “I’ve grown very fond of you, Lea. Let me show you how much.”

    Isa laid down on his bedding, beckoning Lea to follow with a tug of his hand. Lea’s heart leaped in his chest when Isa urged him closer with his legs around Lea’s waist. Isa’s kisses were slow, cautious until Lea eased against him. The undeniable ache between his legs diminished with every rock of his hips, with every sweet moan that made it past Isa’s lips. Lea could understand why the mages back in the Circle would risk punishment for this. The warmth, the intimacy at sharing something like this with someone was beyond anything a mage could hope to experience. Magic without magic. Isa reached a hand between them and pulled Lea’s pants down his hips with his feet. Lea shuddered at the cold of Isa’s slender fingers around him, but relished at Isa’s touch.

    “Lea, merge with me,” Isa whispered against Lea’s lips.

    “Isn’t, isn’t that what demons say?” Lea chortled.

   “Am I a demon to you?” Isa looked up at Lea. No demon, not even the most cunning one, would manage such sincerity in their eyes. Lea shook his head. Thus far Isa had been the closest to the Maker’s Kingdom any mage had ever gotten. There was an unrivaled kindness to him that made this world bearable. Lea wanted all of it to himself.

     Isa pulled his thin, linen shirt off once Lea lay on his back with Isa straddling him. To witness his beauty up close was more mesmerizing than from afar. Lea could scarce breathe at the sight. He traced the tattoos on Isa’s shoulders, sat up to kiss where his hands had touched. They turned to thirsty beasts as soon as they lay naked. Lea came to know what it was to merge in the flesh and see the Maker’s light with the name of a beloved one on his lips.

 

 


	10. Loyalty

* * *

Isa was everywhere; in his thoughts, dreams, on his skin, lips, heart. Their night together had done nothing to vanquish the fire, it had only alleviated it. If Lea had been in agony before their night together, he was miserable now. Each encounter had to be planned meticulously and not even then where they granted a moment’s peace together. Lea would follow the huntsmen from afar and wait for Isa to find an excuse to break from the group. The plan had worked wonders until Isa found himself forced to bring rabbits back to camp. He had a reputation to upkeep. He could not come home empty handed. The huntsmen had made it a habit to follow him in the forest since. The closer to the coast they came, the harder it became to find places to hide.

   The bear attack on the elf weeks earlier had been the most Healer Even had been faced with since Lea was made assistant. Even had found other ways to pass his time of late and Lea spent most of his walking from one side to the other when he wasn’t practicing on his archery.

    “Infirmary?” came a familiar voice from outside the tent. “I’ve hurt myself.”

    Isa stepped inside. He held a cloth tainted in crimson spots over his right hand.

    “What happened? Were you attacked?” Lea hurried to his side.

    “I may have gripped a blade too tightly. It’s not as bad as it looks.”

   “Give it here. You know better than to grip a sword by its blade.” Lea removed the cloth to assess the wound and sighed in relief. A simple healing spell was more than enough to close the wound.

    “I do know better,” Isa said fondly as Lea healed him. “I just needed an excuse to come here.”

    Lea held onto Isa’s hips when he leaned in for a kiss. Their need for each other was turning them into a danger for themselves. Lea recognized it but found that he would rather die in bliss than live in constant yearning.

    “Don’t harm yourself for me, Isa,” Lea mumbled and pulled Isa into an embrace.

    “What is it like to do magic?” Isa asked against the nape of Lea’s neck.

   “I don’t know how to explain it. It comes as naturally as breathing to me now. You have had mages in your clan, haven’t you?”

    “Yes, but their magic has never interested me. I worry for you. Does it not hurt you to not use your magic?”

   “No, I don’t think so. I try to use it every now and then. While I wish to be normal, I do not want to lose my ability.”

    Isa moved away to pace.

   “I have been thinking. About us. Our predicament. I can’t live off brief moments with you, Lea. I want us to have a life together, to not have to sneak around like delinquents to see each other.”

   “Isa, don’t…” Lea’s chest nearly parted in two at Isa’s words. Their situation was not ideal, but Lea would rather have it than nothing at all. “Please.”

    “What?” Isa laughed and rushed back to Lea to kiss him again. “My intention is not to have us walk separate paths, Lea. I…” Isa lowered his voice. “There is a village two days' walk inland. We encountered human hunters and their village is still standing. If you are willing, we could leave.”

    “Wh… desert, you mean? Isa…”

  “It will be an adjustment, I know, but, the same was true for you when you escaped the Circle. I need a purpose. Hunting animals while the final battle draws closer with a promise of certain death, it isn’t enough for me. I feel alive with you, Lea. Every moment spent away from you is a moment wasted. I’m willing to leave this behind, but only if you come with me.”

    Lea grinned, nodded. The ache he thought would shatter his rib cage disappeared as fast as it had come, dissolved into sunshine he was certain had him glowing like the sun.

    “When the moons stand a quarter apart, meet me by the road,” Isa said carefully.

    “Tonight?”

    “Tonight. Denerim is only a week away. This is our only chance.”

   “A quarter apart,” Lea repeated. His first thought was the dangers of blood mages. His second was a reminder; he was not escaping the Circle. In comparison, this was going to be easy unless Isa’s clan members were as resilient as the templars.

    “In here?” they heard Even say as he approached the tent. Lea and Isa stood aside just as Even walked in and gave them both a questioning look. “What is this?”

    “I cut my hand,” Isa said and held out his hand.

    “Where?” Even looked at it closely.

   “I healed it. With the Elfroot paste. I healed his wound with the Elfroot paste. Works wonders,” Lea rambled.

    “It really does,” Even said in awe and turned on Isa’s hand. "The Keeper wishes to see you, Isa. Better not keep him waiting."

    Nighttime could not come soon enough. The camp fires were but smouldering coal when Lea snuck across the camp. The night was pitch black. Neither star nor moon light made it past the trees. With him Lea had brought his bow and a dozens arrows. Outside the clan he was still an apostate. He would use his magic when convenient and only then.

    The moons stood a quarter apart high upon the sky. Lea could barely see in the dim moonlight, but he knew he was at the mainroad when grass turned to gravel. Isa was nowhere to be seen. Lea squinted and looked down both sides of the road. Isa was taking a big risk in leaving. The clan was everything to the Dalish, to renounce it was to leave it forever.

    Lea tensed at the sound of approaching steps. He squatted and strained his sight to make out the dark figure down the road.

    "Lea?"

    "Over here." Lea sighed in relief and rose to approach Isa. "I was worried."

   "Sorry, I was... having doubts," Isa admitted and hung his head. "The Keeper spoke with me today. He must have suspected something."

    "Do you doubt still? What did he say?"

    "He warned me of humans. Reminded me of our history. The injustices."

   "I've read a little about elven history. I can see why he would be worried, why you would. We don't have to leave, Isa. We can stay. Pray that we survive the war and see where to go from there."

    "I don't want that," Isa said after a brief moment of silence. "Yes, I'm frightened about leaving, but I want to be with you. My heart, my loyalty, lies with you.”

    “I will burst like a firework, Isa,” Lea warned, grinning like a lunatic.

    “With joy, I hope,” Isa chuckled.

    “It is definitely joy.”

  “We should hurry then.” Isa found Lea’s hand and held it tenderly in his as he walked in direction of this nameless village where they hoped to find peace.

 

 


	11. Teamwork

* * *

Sunny weather accompanied them on their journey across open grass fields and lush forests. It was one of the better things with their journey. Lea’s hips were stiff from sleeping on the ground and his head felt heavy from their three hours sleeping shifts. They could not be careful enough out in the wilds. Darkspawn could show anywhere at any time. Wildlife was unpredictable, too, and they could not rely on Lea’s healing magic alone. Some wounds were beyond repair even for the most experienced of healers.

    The village Isa had spoken of should be right beyond the hills in the horizon. They would be there by the end of the day, the Maker willing. Lea glanced at Isa, eyelids heavy with sleep. Isa was making a flower crown of the flowers he came across as they went.

    “What are those for?” Lea asked, remembering the first flower crown Isa had made for him.

    “These are blessings. Usually made from one lover to another or to someone you would like to be your lover.”

    Lea laughed. “Were you courting me?”

    “Of course I was. I’m not a barbarian.”

    “What were the blessings?”

    “Good health, strength of body and heart, and an open mind.”

    “And this one?” Lea walked closely to Isa to better see Isa’s handiwork.

   “Love, courage and strength,” Isa smiled. “When two elves marry in my clan, the two will make a flower crown for the other. Before the ceremony they are sent on a quest to find a flower; Mythal’s Grace. It is said to grow only where the shattered lay.”

    “Is it for luck? Why would you want something created out of someone else’s misery on your wedding day of all days?”

     “It’s humbling. It’s uncertain what tradition means by ‘the shattered’. Some believe that it refers to elves fallen in battle, but that wouldn’t make the flower as rare as it is. I have heard that the old elven temples are full of Mythal’s Grace. My mother used to say that the flowers grew where broken hearts lay. Soulmates are not for everyone. To use them in wedding ceremonies is paying tribute to those who have not found their soulmates on the day you form union with yours”

    “That’s beautiful, and saddening.” Lea looked at the flower crown again. “We’ll have to upkeep that tradition. You will teach me how to make a flower crown and we’ll go look for that flower. The shattered shall not be forgotten!”

    “I will definitely teach you how to make one, but I think our first priority should be getting you proper shoes. The search for Mythal’s Grace is challenging as it is, you see.” Isa laughed at Lea’s playful shove. In Lea’s attempt to improve his shoes, he had failed to match the colors of the material he used. The end results were a complete mismatch of stripes and spots, uneven stitchwork and thick soles of different colors.

    As they approached the hills they were struck by a foul stench and occasional black winds. They could not have imagined the devastation until they stood on top of the hill and saw the burnt houses, the corpses on the streets and the survivors taking what they could carry and leave the village in a defeated gait. Lea turned his back on the scene and held one hand over his mouth and nose. The Darkspawn had marched through this small village and levelled it to the ground.

    “Should we follow them?” Lea asked and gave a nod at the villagers.

    “No,” Isa said easily. “They are going to the harbors up north. Their only hope is the Free Marches.”

    “We could go there, too. The Darkspawn can’t have made it that far.”

   “It’s too dangerous, Lea. There are slave traders on those harbors. The only boat I would make it into is one heading straight for Tevinter. We go west.”

    The former empire Tevinter, ruled by mages, despised all over Thedas. Lea had heard enough of their evil deeds to last him a lifetime. The Blight was the works of Tevinter mages overtaken by greed, who thought nothing of the world. Elves were the Tevinter mages’ preferred slaves and they cared nothing for the abolition of slavery throughout Thedas. The reminder of the dangers that lay outside the clan had Isa on edge. He fell silent. Lea took off his flower crown and put it on Isa instead. He placed a chaste kiss on Isa’s cheek and held his hand. Isa would not be made a slave.

    “I’ll make you a flower crown for protection. No evil mages will get to you, Isa. You will always be in a good mage zone. And within that zone there will be a Lea Only Zone. Enemies won’t stand a chance.”

    Isa laughed.

  They played games as they walked down the road, taught each other songs that lay close to their hearts. Lea could scarce make sense of Isa’s songs in Elvish, and Isa wrinkled his nose at the Chantry psalms Lea sang. They were in the midst of speaking of their favorite dishes when a scream for help had them both look ahead. A young man limped as fast as he could away from a cloud of dust. The rotting stench gave away the Darkspawn before they could be seen.

    “Run!” screamed the young man. “Run! They are coming!” He fell to the ground and failed to get up without wailing in pain.

    Isa motioned for Lea to get behind him as he readied his bow. Each shot hit Darkspawn in the head and they fell like rag dolls, but they were plentiful and Isa’s arrows few. Lea cast a fire spell, a hexagram burned through the ground and burst into flames as the herd of Darkspawn stepped into it. The few that stumbled on ahead, Isa shot.

    “Are they gone?” the young man asked past a hysterical laugh. “They are gone? They are gone!”

    “You’re hurt,” Isa said as they approached the man. “Were you stained?”

    “No. Those fishmongers did not get to me. I fell and I think I might have broken a rib. I could never thank you enough for saving me. I thought I was to meet the Maker.”

    “We are glad we could assist,” Lea said and held out his hand. “I’m Lea. This is Isa.”

   “Myde,” said the young man and shook their hands. “Please, let me offer you something to eat. I was on my way to my sister’s farm to escape the destruction of my own village. There are no inns for miles. So, please.”

    “Is the village free from harm?” Isa asked.

   “Mostly. The Darkspawn tried to take over, but the villagers were prepared and fought them off. I received word from my sister last week, telling me she was to leave for Val Rayeaux to ‘make something out of herself’. Farming was not her calling, she said. I have plenty of room.”

    Isa and Lea looked at each other with renewed hope and accepted Myde’s offer.

    

 

 


	12. Bed

* * *

Myde’s farm was a quaint place surrounded by grass fields on one side and the village on the other. He owned four cows, five hens and two horses. His sister had left the farm with an old neighbor who greeted them out on the front yard. The main house was a faded white, windows framed in Orlesian cherry wood. Isa was drawn to the flower beds around the porch the front of the house and had to be urged inside where Myde wanted to show his guests around.

    The room they were given was a small one at the far left side of the house. There was another guest room across from theirs, but Myde’s sister was using it as storage and would send after her things when time was due. It could not have been better. Lea had feared they would have to sneak at night, fearful of being caught here just as with Isa’s clan, but instead they got to sleep in the same room. Isa had looked out the only window in their room to see the open grass fields, but was more fascinated by the barrel of water standing outside their window.

    The first night, Lea had gone to bed after a bath, wearing clean clothing. The linen covers, the softness of the mattress, Lea had to struggle to not fall asleep before Isa came back. It had been a struggle lost. Lea woke up the next morning, his arms around Isa, his face in the nape of Isa’s neck. As much as he had suffered at the hands of the Chantry, he could not deny his faith in the Maker. With the array of things that could have gone wrong in his escape, he had been brought to safety, to a place of dreams. He worked alongside Isa during the days and helped Myde’s business prosper, at night he could indulge in carnal needs, love Isa as a spouse would another.

   “You used to frown a lot,” Isa said as he rubbed a finger between Lea’s eyebrows. It was early morning, sunrise was barely visible on the sky. Mornings were cold. Myde did not believe in keeping stoves in the bedrooms, said that too many farms had been burned to the ground that way. It was all the same to Lea. He got to hold onto Isa for warmth.

     “Haven’t you?” Lea mumbled.

     “No, my facial expression is usually neutral. It prevents wrinkling.”

    “What a vain thing to say,” Lea chuckled and earned a gentle flick against his forehead. “I haven’t frowned much lately. But I will have black bags under my eyes if you keep waking up before sunrise.”

    “Habit,” Isa said. “I get restless in the mornings. Besides, I thought you were awake. You were rubbing my bum.”

     “Also a habit,” Lea smiled. “Try to sleep some more.”

     Falling into Lea’s sleep pattern took some getting used to, but Lea was persistent and did not lack methods.

     The story of the Grey Warden who had defeated the Archdemon soon reached the small village. ‘The Hero of Ferelden’ was a song frequently sung in the the village’s pub, according to Myde who found the whole story fascinating. The battles were said to have been bloody and the casualties many, but there was hope for peace. Ferelden had a new king, one forged in the plights of battle against Darkspawn. The changes made little impact on their daily lives. The cows still had to be milked, the animals had to fed and there was always something needing repair.

    Some days their tasks would keep them apart during the day, yet Isa would make time to find Lea whenever he found a particularly beautiful flower. Without a word, he would brush Lea’s hair behind his ear to balance the flower behind it. On days of leisure, they would invite Myde to archery practice out on the fields. Lea had gotten skilled enough to start practicing on moving targets. Myde had tried it as well, but his lack of balance and proper posture made it a waste of time. “A farmer is a farmer, not a warrior,” he had said.

   Myde had given them permission to stay indefinitely as longs as they could help him with the farm. The terms had been fair and with nowhere else to go and the tranquility of the place, Lea and Isa had decided to stay.

   “You two are good friends, I can tell,” said Myde as he leaned back into his rocking chair out on the porch. They had taken to have a late night pint to make the most of the summer eves. Dwarves from Orzammar passed by the village every now and then bringing with them different brews of mead. Myde was a loyal customer and never missed an opportunity to bargain with them. “How did y’all meet?”

    “I found Lea passed out on the shore.”

    “Well, that time comes in every man’s life,” said Myde and raised his wooden cup in Lea’s direction.

    “You’re not a day older than twenty. Why must you speak like an old man?” Lea laughed.

   “I bet you started drinking without us, Myde,” Isa said and leaned forward to inspect Myde’s eyes. They had a tendency to move in different directions when drunk.

    “I take that bet and raise it two silver,” Myde declared.

    “Drunk like templars on summer solstice.”

    “Templars get drunk on mead and ale?” Isa asked, surprised.

   “I don’t know how much mead or ale there was in their drinks, but I’m willing to bet they spiked it with lyrium and what not to alter their minds. The sun was the last thing they wanted to see the next day.”

   “Gentlemen, I need help with the hay so there will be a couple of extra hands coming by next week. I don’t know if I’ve told you about it,” Myde said into his cup.

    “Only five times today,” Isa smiled.

    “I think it’s time for bed. Isa, aren’t you tired?” Lea nudged Isa’s arm.

    “It’s always bedtime for you, Lea. And you always drag Isa with you. What are you afraid of, conjoined twin? That I might suggest a game of Wicked Grace? We had you down to your knickers last time.” Myde threw his head back and laughed. Drunk as he was he would not notice Lea taking Isa by his hand and lead him into the house with a loving grin.

    Though safe from suspicion, Lea and Isa took no risks. They bolted the door, closed the curtains and snuffed the lights. It had taken practice to find each other in the dark without bumping heads or poking eyes. Some nights had been more trial and laughter than lovemaking, which made Lea appreciate their nights of raw passion all the more. Isa struggled to keep quiet and had to hide behind a pillow at times. Isa’s heated voice, whispering, gasping his name in broken syllables made Lea an insatiable beast craving more. That one night, as they lay tangled, Isa whispered something other than his name.

     _I love you._

    Lea traced his thumb over Isa’s lips. He said nothing but kissed the sweetness away instead until it truly was time for bed.

 

 


	13. Coincidence

* * *

Without templars nearby, no one in the village could tell Lea was an apostate. The robes that would have given him away had become a blanket for Myde’s beloved horse. Lea could move freely in the village. Travelers were not uncommon now that the Blight had settled. Everyone was going home to rebuild and claim their lands before others did. Isa did not have the privilege of wandering unnoticed, however. The attention unnerved him and he prefered to stay on the farm rather than venture out amongst more humans than he could handle.

    Myde had brought Lea along to fetch his temporary workers by the small village Chantry. His sister had asked for workforce before she left, but the Blight had delayed all that wandered from the south.

   “New workers make me anxious,” Myde had said as they set off into the village in Myde’s carriage.

   “Isa and I were new workers once,” Lea said to ease Myde’s mind.

  “Yes, but you saved my life. There is a different kind of trust between us. What if I pick up a serial killer without even knowing it?”

   “We hope we remain unknowing until he leaves,” Lea said as jest and waited for a laugh, but Myde was in no such mood.

    The villagers greeted them as they went by. The Chantry rose above the other buildings, simple yet surpassing in elegancy. Lea had wanted to come for mass and thank the Maker for his opportunities in life, but the fear of being caught was greater than his need for voicing his gratitude. Isa had told him that gods do not reside in temples. If a prayer is honest, they will hear it from wherever their faithful might be. It could be true for elven gods. They might travel the Heavens like the Dalish. Lea did not question whether the Maker could hear him, but Scripture left no doubts in regards to the holiness of the Maker’s house. Sometimes a faithful’s presence must be made known in the house of the Maker.

    Myde and Lea left the carriage to seek out the workers in the Chantry courtyard. Lea’s eyes fell on the flowers growing around the wooden pillars first. The garden could entice Isa to come here.

    “There they are,” said Myde and hurried ahead.

    Lea froze. In the group of three young men stood one he had thought lost forever. Roxas scratched the back of his head as Myde greeted them and began introduction. He was faintly bruised. His hair was turned to hay and his clothes had been torn and repaired repeatedly. In a sweeping glance, Roxas saw him, too. The hardened glaze over his eyes dissolved and became tears. Lea ran to him. Myde stopped mid-sentence when Roxas said Lea’s name. The two embraced, gripped at each other as though they never intended to let go.

    The greatest gift the Maker could have given Lea had stood outside His home. Lea vowed to return within the week to give thanks and swear eternal loyalty to the Maker. On their way back, Lea sat in the carriage with Roxas, full of queries, but knew he could only ask a few.

    “How did you end up here?” Roxas asked, thinking Lea’s story safer to ask about.

    “I was found by a clan of Dalish elves,” Lea said with a laugh.

    “Elves?” Roxas repeated, eyes wide. “Pointy ears and all?”

   “Yeah. I spent some months with them. They were going to Denerim to help the Grey Wardens fight the Archdemon.”

   “You survived the Archdemon?!” Roxas held his hands over his ears and gripped at his hair in utter disbelief. The others turned to look at them curiously.

   “No. No, no, I didn’t - the elves weren’t fond of me because I’m human and, well, there’s a lot of history. So, I left before we got to Denerim. And I met Myde and he gave me work at his farm.”

  “Not all elves hated you,” Myde reminded him with a laugh. “He’s got one joined at his hip now.”

    “You’re _friends_ with an _elf_?” Roxas questioned.

    “Why is that hard to believe?” Lea crossed his arms.

    “Because you lie, Lea. All the time. It’s pathological.”

    “When have I ever?” Lea questioned, nose in the air at the offensive accusation.

     Roxas laughed and the world was suddenly right again.

  

 

 


	14. Beach

* * *

Roxas had been the only one of the workers to stay for dinner at the main house. The others had taken their allowance to spend at the pub. Lea, Isa and Myde had stared at Roxas while he shoveled his food into his mouth. There had been little time for talk. In between work, bath and dinner, Lea had settled with knowing that Roxas was within reach.

   “Something is wrong with your friend, Lea,” Isa said. He sat by the edge of the bed and braided his long, blueish hair. Lea had slipped into his nightshirt and searched the floor for his slippers.

    “He’s fine. I bet he hasn’t been eating properly. He needs a few days.”

    “It’s not that. He smells differently.”

  “Well, that’s unfair. He’s taken a bath now and won’t smell any worse than the cows in the barn.”

    “Lea…” Isa stood to face him. “Does he use blood magic?”

    “Of course not,” Lea was quick to deny. “Roxas knows better.”

    “Where are you going?”

    “To talk to him. We have much to speak of.” Lea placed a kiss on Isa’s forehead. “Rest. I will be back later.”

     Myde had prepared a shed for his workers. It lay near the main house and had a stove to keep them warm at night. None of the other workers had returned from the pub yet. Lea could see no light from within the shed and knew Roxas had gone outside. He rounded the shed and saw Roxas’ silhouette out on the grass field, illuminated by the moon.

    “Trouble sleeping?” Lea asked once he came close.

    “Nightmares. Do you have them?”

    “I used to, but not so much anymore. Yours will go away with time, too.”

    Roxas nodded slowly. He did not believe it now, Lea understood. He, too, had found it difficult to move forward, away from his past. With help, he had made it.

    “Do you still believe in the Maker and Andraste?”

     A soft breeze ruffled Roxas hair.

    “I do.”

    “After everything that has happened?” An unsettling sadness coated Roxas’ voice. Lea’s heart ached at hearing it.

    “What’s ‘everything’, Roxas?” Lea put his arm around Roxas’ shoulders.

    In times of doubt, Roxas had tried to have this conversation with Lea. There was no Maker to look out for them. The Maker, like the Chantry, still held a grudge against mages for what had happened at Black City a millenia ago. Mages could rely on none other than themselves. Roxas’ time outside the Circle had only strengthen his belief; they were without worth in this world unless they gave their powers to those who oppressed them.

    “I managed to escape with a group of mages,” Roxas said and looked at the horizon. “We made it across the lake. But we ran into Darkspawn. Those who refused blood magic were attacked and consumed with Blight. It took them days to die, Lea. We tried every conceivable healing spell and none worked.” As soon as his voice wavered, Roxas paused. “The templars came before we could bury them. The world was going under and they still persecuted us. There wasn’t a god looking out for us.”

    “But you survived, Roxas. That day, when you stayed behind, I thought that was the last I would ever see of you. I mourned you all the while hoping it was in vain, and it was. I was going to Denerim, but Fate had me come here instead, and here you were, Roxas. How could any of it have been possible without heavenly intervention?”

    “Remember when you were the one to sulk?” Roxas said with a smile.

    “Don’t tell me I rid you of all hope,” Lea said as jest, but feared it to be true.

   “Heavenly intervention or not, I’m glad our paths crossed, Lea. I have not been myself until now.”

   “I know you haven’t. You are still prepared for war. You will soon realize that you have been washed up on the shore.”

   “What?” Roxas laughed.

   “I was rescued when I washed up on the shore that day. You took some time, but you are on the shore, and I have come to the rescue.”

   “A damsel in distress, am I?” Roxas looked back at Lea. “Is there room for me in your life now, Lea? I am the closest thing to an abomination. Your Maker will not like it.”

   “You are but a nug seeking shelter and my life will always have room for you, in this world and in the next.”

 

 


	15. Kitchen

* * *

Roxas washed upon the shore. He found footing once more. Though his doubts in the Maker and his workings remained, it did not seem to bother him anymore. The more of the old Roxas Lea saw, the more Lea sought for him. As soon as they finished their duties, they got onto the roof of the main house to overlook the vast grassfields and share whichever treat they had found in the pantry. There was comfort in revisiting old habits. The familiarity of Roxas near, of knowing that they shared the same curse and gift, invited a sense of tranquility Lea had not known he had missed.

    A dwarf came past one day, selling his wares on the town square. Amongst those wares, Roxas found an Ice Rune and managed to bargain for it. Myde would hardly be impressed, but Lea was and wondered what the rune was for. Roxas declared it a secret until Sunday came and he stood in the kitchen to show Lea what marvel could be done with an Ice Rune. Myde was out of himself with curiosity. Isa participated reluctantly.

    Roxas poured cream and mashed berries into a wooden bowl. He enchanted a whisk to keep it stirring while he held the rune over the blend and hummed a short spell. The cream hardened, the mashed berries left streaks across it and colored the white a faint crimson.

    “What in the Holiest of Holies…?” Myde stared in awe.

   “Ice Cream,” Roxas said as he put the rune down. “A regular ice spell would have the cream freeze solid, but the power in the rune is the right amount of ice spell this needs. Does anyone want any?”

    “Is it not poisonous?” Isa asked.

    “It is cream and berries,” Roxas said. “I have no intention of poisoning anybody.”

    “I would like some,” Lea said and rummaged a cupboard for small bowls.

   Myde was taken by Roxas skills in magic and alchemy. At their meetings on the porch, Myde lost no time in overwhelming Roxas with questions, so much so, Myde failed to pay attention to his beverage. Isa was restless in his seat. He said little in Roxas’ company, claiming still that there was something awry about Roxas, but he could not say what it was. It was not the blood magic for Roxas had not used it since he escaped the templars. Lea was certain Isa’s attitude toward Roxas would change over time. Perhaps Roxas' escape unsettled him. There had been casualties which Roxas did not deny and in war casualties were to be expected. Roxas suspected that Isa did not like magic. Lea used his scarcely, Roxas used his openly and plenty. Even amongst the Dalish there existed fear for magic. Each clan allowed three mages at most, others were exiled to other clans.

    Lea observed Isa as he glanced at the ice cream in his bowl and poked at it with his spoon. At revealing his magical powers, Isa had had a moment of distrust. The thick smell of the roasted ram accompanied the memory of terror at having his secret revealed. Had Isa not grown fond of him, would he have told his Keeper of what Lea was?

    “Was that alchemy or magic?” Myde asked and went for a second serving.

    “Alchemy,” Roxas said proudly.

    “So I could do it?”

    “You definitely could.” Roxas smiled. "I can show you how."

     Myde and Lea nearly licked their bowls clean, Isa had but a taste and left the rest.

    Late at night when Lea could barely keep his eyes open, he walked back to his room. Isa should be asleep and it was best. Roxas said to think little of Isa’s behavior toward him. A mage that had survived templars had survived it all, he said. But Lea was of a different mind. There was room for Roxas in his life, but Isa shoved him out of it with every disapproving glare his way. Lea would have to speak with Isa to set the matter straight. It was a promise he had made himself, but before he could, he would have to find the right words to say. Anger had never worked in his favor.

    Isa sat by the edge of the bed when Lea walked into the room. The candle burned low. Isa looked at him with questions reflected in his eyes as he braided his hair.

    “I thought you would be asleep,” Lea said and pulled his shirt over his head.

    “I couldn’t find you today.”

    “I was sent to the village. Myde needed someone to sell the milk.”

    “Have you spoken with the other workers at all?”

   “What for? They will be off in a week’s time.” Lea paced the small room to sort his clothes for tomorrow. The chore kept his back to Isa.

    "They have interesting things to say about your friend."

    "Such as?"

    "Does Vanitas sound like a human name to you? He murmurs it in his sleep."

    “This again?” Lea huffed and turned to face Isa. “It does sound like a human name to me. Listen, I appreciate the sentiment, but I know everything there is to know about Roxas, about human names and demons. Just like you know the name of every flower in existence. So, stop.”

    “I want to keep you safe, Lea.”

    “You won’t succeed by isolating me from my friends. The glares, the creeping suspicion and questioning, it stops now, Isa. Are we clear?”

    Isa sighed and gave a slow nod.

    “Good. I’m going out for a walk.” Lea grabbed a robe. “To calm down.”

    “No, Lea. Wait.” Isa hurried to his side and placed his hand on his arm. “I’m sorry. Stay. Please. I won’t bring up the subject again. I haven’t seen much of you lately and I don’t want us to fight. Please?”

    Lea put his robe aside and allowed Isa to lead him to bed. Isa reached for a small glass container of what looked like ink and a thin brush before Lea sat down.

    “What’s that?” Lea asked when Isa pulled the lid off the container.

    “This is a special sort of tattoo ink. It’s not lasting like the ink used for my tattoos. It washes off over time, but holds great powers. I was going to use it on myself, but if you don’t mind, could I draw something on you?”

    “Yeah,” Lea nodded and rolled one sleeve up to his elbow. Dalish tattoos had intrigued him since he laid eyes on Isa’s faint ones on his upper face. He had later learned that the pattern was part of a larger, intricate tattoo. Rounded patterns of white and black framed Isa’s hips. The same patterns climbed Isa’s spine, but smaller. Lea had left countless trails of kisses on them.

    Isa held Lea’s arm against him as he moved the brush across his skin. The tattoos differed from Isa’s.

    “What do these tattoos mean?”

    “Different things. Mine make me ideal for a hunter. I was granted the cunning ways of Fen’Harel, the blessing of Andruil, and the protection of Mythal to allow my safe return.”

    “I thought Fen’Harel was evil.” Lea tilted his head slightly at the arched line Isa drew down his arm.

    “He wards against forest spirits and feasts upon them in the Fade.”

    “Is that what you’re drawing on me?” Lea tensed and glared at Isa. “A god that feasts on spirits. And demons, I presume?”

    Isa could not lie. He tried, but his lips failed him, and his eyes revealed the truth.

    “Damn it, Isa!” Lea pulled his arm back and rose to his feet. “Do you even realize what you’re accusing him of? How we’ve struggled to free ourselves from the shackles of the templars? Every day we were told how we would succumb to the devils from the Fade. That our only purpose as mages was to bring this world to an end. And every day we were shown that we were expendable. Our friends made Tranquils at the slightest hint of resistance. Roxas hasn’t made it this far to have to prove himself to you.”

    Lea slammed the door shut after himself and ran outside.

 

 


	16. Games

* * *

As much as Lea scrubbed and washed the ink would not come off. It faded, but it was visible against Lea’s pale skin. Roxas had no idea what the squibbles were and Lea would not want him to find out. With the two others workers gone, Roxas spend his days by himself, lifting bales of hay and feeding some to the cows. Lea spent most of his working days in Myde’s carriage, going about the village as the sole provider of milk and eggs. The other farmers were still struggling to produce more than they themselves needed to survive.

    On the night of his fight with Isa, Lea had gone to sleep in the barn. Isa had been wise in not following him. In the morning he had woken up to Roxas speaking with the cows and Myde greeting Roxas from afar. Isa had left early in the morning, Myde had said, but he had not been told where. At lunch, Isa came back with three pheasants, berries and flowers. Whether it had been an apology or not, Lea could not say for he made certain to not be left alone with Isa.

   “What are you doing to your arm?” Roxas stopped in his tracks and adjusted a small bale of hay in his arms.

  Lea stood by a barrel at the back of the house where Myde collected rain water. His skin was red where he had been scrubbing and the ink still visible.

  “I’ve been trying to get this off, but… ugh!” Lea tossed the small wash brush into the barrel and looked at his arm in dismay. Roxas had put the bale down and stood by Lea to touch his arm. He barely grazed it. Roxas pulled his hand away with a yelp and watched his fingers bleed.

    “Roxas, what happened?” Lea took Roxas’ hand in his. “Did I do this?”

    “No, it… I think it was your arm? What have you scribbled on there? Ow.”

    “Are you alright? Does it hurt somewhere?”

    Isa had said the tattoo would ward against demons as well as spirits. For one split second, Lea gave into the suspicion. He had seen Roxas cut his hand on the day of their escape. He could not be certain that Roxas had done it for blood magic or that a demon had possessed him. Lea searched for the usual signs of possession all the while thinking that Isa was wrong. Roxas eyes were as blue as they ever had been and his voice as sweet and gentle as always.

    “Yeah, my fingers,” he chuckled.

    Lea healed the cut and helped Roxas wash the blood off. If the tattoo had not been to ward off demons and spirits, then what had Isa drawn on him? Myde had been poking and squeezing on Lea’s arm without harm, yet Roxas nearly had his fingertips cut off.

    “Lea, I’m fine. You didn’t hurt me on purpose.” Roxas waved his hand in front of Lea’s face at seeing him frown.

   “But Isa might have,” Lea muttered. He did not want to believe it himself, but what else could he make of these marks.

    “Will the ink come off?” Roxas asked.

    “Yeah, with time, he said.”

   “Then why worry about it? Lea, we have survived the worst. An ill-tempered elf is merely another bump on the road. His kind does not stay long in one place. And even if he does, we have the option to leave.”

    Lea nodded slowly. He had yet to tell Roxas about his relationship to Isa. The thought had not even occurred to him. Lea thought it cruel to even consider it. Roxas had faced death every day since escaping the Circle, lost friends, faith. Telling Roxas that he had found the comfort of love would be a betrayal, one he did not want to commit.

   “I could finally show you the lavender fields back home. My friends would love you. With the Blight over, I’m certain Denerim would have no shortage of work. I like it here, but if Isa bothers you, we have an alternative. You would come with me, wouldn’t you?”

    The memory of them running down hallways full of templars and abominations came flooding back. Fear would have kept Lea hidden in his room in hopes that the rebellion would blow past without incident, but he had followed Roxas. His fear of losing him had been greater than anything else. Lea would follow Roxas to the end of the world and beyond if need be.

    “You know I would.” Lea took a deep breath. Roxas had been looking him in the eye. He had forgotten how he had an infuriating tendency to turn crimson at any elongated gazes he shared with Roxas. At looking away, Roxas stood on his toes and placed a soft kiss on Lea’s cheek.

     “I’m glad we found each other, Lea,” Roxas said and left, bale in arms.

     Lea’s heart had nearly lept out of his chest. His face was hot and his hands trembled. As Roxas disappeared around the corner, Lea lowered his head into the cold rain water in the barrel.

 

 

 


	17. Change

* * *

Conflict debilitated Lea. With conflict came risks of making wrong decisions that could not be undone. Conflict was the initiation of Tranquils. It took time to to break a behavioral pattern that had been ingrained into him from a tender age. His fear of templars and their punishments would take the hardest work to overcome.

    Lea avoided Isa as much as was possible. When nighttime came he lingered outside until he decided to go to Roxas. The shed was on the other side of the yard, near the stables. With the other workers gone, Roxas had it all to himself. He left the door unhatched for Lea at night. Though his heart threatened to burst with every playful flirt, Lea had no intention of pushing things too far, too fast. Roxas could be confounded, he could have kissed Lea as an act of amiability and nothing else. The flirting could be the same. Should there be anything beyond friendship between them, Lea wanted to take it slow, make certain that they both felt the same before taking it further. He had lost Roxas once already and barely survived. It was not an experience he wanted to live through once more.

    Try as he might, Lea could only hide for so long. The curse of a conscience was that it demanded to be cleared unless he wanted to dwell in guilt. Isa had been honest with him and Lea was indebted to him, not only for his honesty, but for keeping him afloat. Had they been meant to be, a fight would not have torn at them as much as this had. Only this was more than a mere fight. Isa feared magic and by extension he feared Lea and Roxas, too. Had it been just the two them, a relationship could have worked. Lea had not minded a slow death, hiding his nature to appease another. But where Lea was, Roxas was, too. And Lea could not hide who he was without hurting Roxas.

    Early morning, Lea woke to an empty bed. He had hoped to find Isa here last night, braiding his hair, but Lea had not heard him come in, nor had he heard him leave. Lea sought him in the dining space and heard Myde in the kitchen attempting alchemy to make ice cream for breakfast.

    “Good morning,” Lea greeted.

    “It will be if I get this to work,” said Myde.

    “Did you see Isa before he left?”

   “He’s at the back hanging laundry to dry. Said he couldn’t sleep.” Myde put the Ice Rune down and turned to Lea. “Is he feeling well? Twice now I’ve caught him speaking to himself. And he seems a bit off.”

    “We had a bit of a squabble.” Lea rubbed the back of his head nervously.

   “He told me that much, but he was asking me about Vanitas and if I had seen strange things or if I’ve felt out of sorts around Roxas. I’ve been scared of my own shadow since. I asked him, ‘Strange things?’, but he did not answer. Are there ghosts on the farm, I wonder? My sister did leave in an awful rush.”

     “Don’t dwell on it. Isa is merely acting out a grudge against me, Myde.”

   “Careful, friend. An elf with a grudge is like a hungry wolf lurking on its prey. You’ll never see the bite coming.”

     Lea walked out to the back of the house where laundry lines stood stretched between thin but sturdy poles. Crisp white sheets swayed in the breeze. Isa hand washed them by a creek uphill. The array of flowers made it a pleasant place to be, Isa had said once when disclosing where he managed to find the flowers he brought home.

    Isa stood hidden behind the washed laundry by a nearly empty basket when Lea approached him.

    "Isa?"

  Isa hung up the last piece of clothing slowly. Lingered and sighed once he had to face Lea. A rift had emerged between them. Avoidance had only made the distance greater. Lea wondered if he had ever known the man before him. A lonely soul would cling onto anything akin to a raft in a stormy sea. Lea had been lost in the world outside the Circle. Isa had given him direction and protection whilst Lea put his feet on the ground. He was not out on the sea anymore. The raft had to be left behind once it was of no use.

    "We have to talk." Lea crossed his arms to keep warm.

    "Talk."

   For his stern tone Isa’s hands were restless. He brushed stray hairs behind his ears and cleared his throat, eyes pleading.

    "There is no easy way of doing this, but... you have been mostly honest with me and I think I should be the same with you.” Lea took a deep breath. “I’m grateful for everything you have done for me. You helped me when no one else would, but… when we first met I didn't think I would see Roxas again. I thought him dead, and I... I..."

    "Say no more," Isa interrupted, voice thick. "I understand." He cleared his throat once more.

    "You said once that we could still be friends, regardless of my answer. I hope that still stands."

    Isa said nothing, only nodded in reply.

 

Myde had asked Lea how elves functioned as though Isa had divulged every custom and tradition to Lea. Myde speculated that elves might be driven by pain like plants by the sun for Isa had taken to work long into the night. There was barely anything left to do on the farm in the mornings. When Myde was put out of work, he drank. Combined with his ability to make ice cream, his belt was near buckling.

    At day, Isa went into the woods to hunt, sometimes gone for hours on end. Birds were going to be a thing of the past, Myde warned when he served two pheasants for dinner for a fifth time that week. The villagers were overjoyed by the meat and were happy to buy them off Lea when he went into town. Myde whined but welcomed the new source of income. With the earnings, Myde could purchase a bull to have it mate with his cows.

    The wooden floor of the porch creaked as Lea threw himself back against his chair with groan of disbelief. Myde cackled as he put his cards down to collect his winnings.

    "You must be cheating," Roxas said in awe. It was Myde's third win.

    "I don't think I can afford winning my dignity back." Lea rubbed his chin and watched half of his coin disappear.

    "I will win it back. Deal." Roxas was determined as he had been during their first two rounds.

   They sat swatting mosquitoes away on the porch. Summer would soon come to an end and evenings such as these had to be enjoyed while there was still time.

    Isa came riding on horseback and stopped by the stables. Today’s hunt had stretched on for longer than usual yet he came without a kill. Lea watched him while Roxas and Myde decided to play a third round of Wicked Grace. The horse paced back and forth and pulled at the reins. Isa swayed and gripped at the horse's mane to steady himself. Myde’s sense of balance was in a better state and he had been drinking wine. Lea sighed in relief when Isa did better in walking back to the house albeit with a limp.

    “Well, look who the cat dragged in. Sit with us, Isa!” Myde said as soon as he saw Isa. “Lay your bet and watch me become all the richer.”

    “Do you want me to take a look at that?” Lea asked, referring the Isa’s leg.

    Isa walked past them without a word. He walked inside and all they heard was Isa closing the bedroom door after himself. He did not come out for three days.

 

 


	18. Hair

* * *

Time healed all wounds, or so it was claimed. A millennia had passed since the mages of Tevinter broke into the Black City, years had gone since the elves were freed from slavery, weeks had passed since the Archdemon was slayed and the Blight ended, yet the wounds remained. They festered and brought on disease. Lea wondered how deeply wounded Isa was while Myde and Roxas were perplexed by Isa’s recent behavior. Isa had been relentless in his tasks, working long days and hunting in his spare time, but this past week he had scarce left his room. Every time Myde mustered the courage to ask him about it, Isa had a new excuse. Roxas had suggested that elves might hibernate like bears and now that the end of summer was approaching, Isa was preparing for winter. Lea had not worried himself with it until he too heard Isa speak to himself.

    The dwarves in town sometimes brought books with them to sell. Ancient lore, journals, maps. Lea had rummaged through the dwarves’ wares to find anything that could be of help, but found little. Perhaps Isa was homesick. It had been long since he had seen other elves. He had neglected his Dalish traditions of prayers and sacrifice to his gods. Lea could not find any books on the Dalish either and he suspected any such book would cost a fortune. Only the rich and powerful had access to such information.

    Life had, in other aspects, been all but bad. Roxas had been all the more cheerful. The villagers had taken a liking to both Lea and Roxas even after they revealed their healing powers. The ice cream had most likely been their most enticing aspect. The villagers must have stopped associating them with blighted creatures and instead thought of ice cream at seeing them. Myde had pleaded with Roxas to keep the alchemy behind it a secret to secure a revenue. He had been overjoyed when Roxas promised him that the recipe for this glorious delight would not be revealed by him. It was Myde’s to do what he pleased with it. Their banter and Roxas’ good humor kept Lea’s worry at bay and made it possible for him to enjoy their frivolous activities.

    In the midst of a particular bad hand in Wicked Grace, Myde had thought of a way to lure Isa out of his room and hopefully inspire him into his normal self.

    “What if we talk to his sense of duty?” Myde said with a clap. “We all have to pull our weight around here and he is part of the community, he cannot stay in bed all day. What do you think?”

     “It’s worth to try,” Roxas agreed. “I raise you one silver.”

     “Always with the silver. I thought we agreed to stick to copper,” Myde whined.

     “I’m willing to try anything at this point,” Lea cut in. “He wouldn’t let me examine him this morning. I hear him walk around at night. And the mumbling...” Lea shuddered. “Could a forest spirit have done this to him? He did spend a lot of time in the forest.”

    “Spirits need consent,” Roxas reminded Lea. “And someone with magic. Even if Isa could merge with a spirit, he would have to have merged with the essence of sloth to stay in bed as long as he has.”

    After breakfast, the very next morning, Lea and Roxas sat by the table waiting for Myde to come back from Isa’s room. They listened for any raised voices or a yelp from Myde, but heard nothing.

     “Did Isa kill him?” Roxas asked in a whisper, but reconsidered at the disapproving look from Lea. “Sorry.”

     They heard Myde open and close the bedroom door and his slow, uncertain steps down the hallway before he emerged, pale as a ghost.

    “What happened? What did he say?” Lea asked with urgency.

    “Are you alright?” Roxas walked up to Myde to help him down onto his chair.

    “So, I… I went with the plan. I told him that we were running low on coin and that I needed him to pull his weight. Just like we discussed, remember? I said that and, he… he sat up and turned to me. And I thought ‘hey, problem solved’, but…” Myde shook his head. “He reached for a blade and he…” Myde held up his hand. In his grip he had Isa’s long braid, cut right above the ribbon.

    “Did he say anything?” Roxas asked.

    “Yeah, he said that elven hair goes for a lot of coin on the sham - shem - market? And then he said ‘an elf in pieces is worth more than one as slave’. I don’t think I can go back in there. The only other time I have been this frightened was when I was chased down the road by Darkspawn. And in that moment I knew I was going to die. I cannot relive that moment again.”

    They agreed that something had to be done, but were at loss.

 

 


	19. Jealousy

* * *

The farm lay in a thick fog, close yet out of grasp. Lea ran toward it, away from the forest, but it bended, twisted to pull Lea away from where he wanted to go. Guttural screams for help echoed all throughout the courtyard. The entity possessing the forest laughed at Lea's struggle. The screams grew wearier and a final, sobbing call for him, gave him the strength to pull forward, out of the strangling grasp. Lea sat up in his cot with a gasp and quickly turned to see Roxas sleep soundlessly next to him. Metallic thumps from outside cleared the lingering fog clouding Lea’s mind and he rose to his feet. The night was dark still. The moons were barely visible on the nightsky.

    Lea pulled the curtain aside slightly to see the courtyard. Isa walked across it, looking closely at the ground with the faint light from his lantern. He dropped the hammer in the middle of it glanced upward. Before he blew the candle out, Isa turned back and looked straight at Lea. In the split second their eyes met, Lea saw Isa’s eyes turn amber. Lea staggered back. His thoughts raced. This discoloration of the eyes was a sign of possession. Isa was not a mage and yet his eyes had shifted color. Once he dared to look back outside, Isa was gone, and Lea was left with doubts as to what he had seen.

-x-

Isa joined them for breakfast for the first time in a long while. He ate with great appetite, but had little to say. Myde’s attempts at including Isa in their conversation proved futile. They bore the unexpected company, watching Isa through sideway glances. Lea had yet not decided if he trusted what he had seen. Confusion and the lingering nightmare could have contributed to the contorted image. Even the light from the lantern could have been responsible.

    A soft nudge from Roxas had Lea looked to his side. He was comforted by the gentle smile of his friend. Lea had thought it best to not tell Roxas about what he had seen. Isa and Roxas barely got along as it was.

    “Has there ever been a demon who has sought revenge for being fooled?” Isa asked at last and silenced the others with his question. “That is what the Harrowing is about, is it not? You face a demon who has been led to believe you want to form a union. But the demon is used as a test. Has one ever tried to avenge?”

    “That’s a bit heavy for breakfast talk,” said Myde with a nervous laugh.

    “The First-Enchanter deals with such matters,” Lea said bitterly and glared at Isa.

   “And if there is no First-Enchanter to deal with such matters?” Isa asked, undeterred by the heavy air between him and the rest.

    “Free mages do not expose themselves to rites such as the Harrowing,” Roxas cut in before Lea could answer. “Should a demon want revenge, it should turn to the Chantry.”

   “But you have both passed the rite. You are not apprentices anymore, are you? You have faced demons and their temptations at least once. As did your comrades, and yet, I have heard that most of them became abominations the second they started to use blood magic.”

     “Isa, shut up,” Lea said past gritted teeth. “You have _no right_ to talk about them.”

    “Should the templars find you,” Isa continued nonchalantly. “Would they kill you or make you Tranquils? Which would be preferable?”

     Lea rose to his feet and pulled Roxas up with him. They stormed out of the house and back to the the shed.

    “Pack your things. We have to be ready,” Lea said as soon as the door closed behind him.

    “Would he really turn us in?” Roxas asked as he searched for a piece of cloth to tie into a bag.

    “He would turn you in without a second thought, Roxas. And that is cause enough for us to leave as soon as we can. Myde said that it would rain torrentially for two days. I say we leave as soon as the clouds clear.”

    “To Denerim?” Roxas’ eyes lit up.

    “To Denerim.” Lea smiled.

   A knock on the door had them both turn around swiftly. Myde opened the door slowly and sneaked inside.

    “What did he do?” Lea asked.

  “He is eating his breakfast,” Myde replied with a shudder. “I never thought him capable of something like that. I don’t know whether to believe that was a threat or not. Are you leaving?”

     “We have no other choice,” Lea said and gave Myde a pat on his shoulder. Myde had been a true friend. He had gone above and beyond to make them feel welcome. This farm had been Lea’s first home since he was snatched away from his own by the templars and he missed it already.

    “We will leave in two days,” Roxas said with a glance at his bundle of belongings. “You should try to rid yourself of that elf while we’re still here, Myde. I could not leave in good conscience knowing that we left you with that to deal with.”

    Myde nodded in agreement.

    “Take whatever you can carry from the pantry. I wouldn’t want either of you to starve.” Myde smiled woefully. “I will miss you both an awful lot. The farm will not be the same without you. But such is life.” Myde sighed. “Write to me if possible, please.”

    Both Lea and Roxas walked up to him to share a hug.

 

 


	20. Only You

* * *

None wanted to stay at the farm with Isa walking around the premises like a shackled ghost. For dinner, Myde invited Roxas and Lea to the village pub where they were promised the most delicious steak this side of Ferelden. Lea had not doubt it would taste heavenly. Myde had raised the cow served at the inn that day.

    The dark clouds that had threatened with rain all day thickened. It rained hard once they walked back to the farm. They could have taken the horse and carriage, but Myde did not want to get back too soon. Maker willing, the rain would cleanse his farm from the evil that had decided to contort Isa’s mind. The Maker might have heard Myde’s plea, or so they thought for the short moment it seemed that Isa had left the farm. Lea took notice of him on the grassfield at the back of the main house. He ran in the rain, accompanied by Myde’s two horses. His feet were bare and his clothes clung to him as wet as they were. The dark horse ran past him and he managed to jump onto it. Isa carried his bow and arrows. Watching him practice had always been awe inspiring. Every move was made to seem effortless, but a single slip could cause him great harm.

    Lea was to turn back to the shed when the dark horse slowed into a trot. Isa leaned forward, his face against the horse’s mane. He remained that way, like a child clinging to its mother, as the horse trotted around the field.

    Roxas was asleep when Lea came back to the shed, soaked to the bone. He shivered as he quickly changed clothes and hung his wet ones to dry. Like a dog, he flung his head around to get the worst of it out, but with hair as thick as his, he would have to wait a while longer before he could go to sleep. Lea paced to keep warm. The stove wasn’t generating as much warmth as he would like it to. The cold got to him eventually and he decided to go to bed. Lea pulled his covers back and in the dim light he saw a flower crown on his bed. The flowers were wilting, their colors pale and uninspiring. Love, courage and strength. Lea sighed and took the flower crown in his hands. It would make for good fuel for the smoulders of fire in the stove.

 

 


	21. Sea

* * *

Lea had never seen the sea. He only knew of the vicious waters surrounding Kinloch Hold. Compared to the untamed waves of the Waking Sea outside Denerim, Lake Calenhad was but a shallow pond. Roxas had once seen the Waking Sea in the midst of a storm. It had been years since, but he remembered it as though it was a sight he saw everyday. No boat was safe in the turbulent waters and those who forgot that they were at the mercy of the sea, most often than not ended crushed against the rocks, washed up on shore in pieces.

    Roxas had promised him that once they had settled in his village, he would take Lea to Denerim and show him the Waking Sea. Myde had told them good things about King Alistair and the parades he threw in honor of the people. Denerim was a good place to rest after the horrors of the Blight. As mages they had to be cautious to not be caught by visiting templars. Lea was looking forward to leaving Myde’s farm to start anew. Isa had tainted this place with his hatred for Roxas and his fear of magic. It had worn out Isa’s welcome at Myde’s farm, too. His only chance now was to work as a servant in Redcliffe unless he would think it better to live alone in the forest or in an alienage. If Isa was lucky, he might find another Dalish clan to join. Word was said to travel fast amongst the Dalish, however. Traitors were not well received. Isa had known that when he decided to leave.

   “We should have stayed in the main house,” Roxas said with an anxious look at the door. “Or within earshot. What if Isa loses that last of his sanity and does something to Myde?”

   “There’s nothing to suggest that he would be violent toward Myde,” Lea said but wondered if Roxas had a point.

     “No, he has only threatened us with a painful death. You used to be friends and he turned on you. I don’t think he will make an exception for Myde.”

    “In any case, we are ready to intervene should anything‒”

    The tip of an arrow penetrated the door. Splinters flew. Roxas and Lea hurried to the back of the small shed and stared at the harm done to the door in stunned silence.

    “Step outside,” they heard Myde say in a trembling voice.

    “What do we do?” Roxas turned to Lea.

   “We stick together and we save Myde,” Lea said in hopes he sounded determinate enough to inspire courage. “We cannot be rash about this.”

     Lea’s heart was pounding in his chest with fear as they approached the door and stepped out reluctantly. The rain was falling harder than it did yesterday. Small pools of water covered the courtyard and in the middle of it all stood Myde shivering, lips contorted around restrained whimpers of fear. Isa stood a few yards behind him, bow and arrow ready to split Myde’s head in two.

    “Isa, what are you doing?” Lea’s mouth was dry. His hands trembled at the sight.

    “Save him,” Isa said. “Save him or I kill him.”

    “He’s done nothing to you!” Roxas yelled.

   “My Keeper was right. You shemlens are all the same. You make use of us until you tire of us.” Isa tightened his bow. “I will not miss.”

   “W-wait! Isa! Wait. How, how do we save him?” Lea held his hands up to hinder Isa from firing.

     “Roxas will fetch him and lead him to you.”

     The coldness in Isa’s voice had Lea shudder and add to the nausea building in his stomach.

     “I will fetch him, Isa,” Lea said.

     “Lea,” Roxas grabbed Lea by his wrist and shook his head at him. “I’ll go. You cover us.”

    “He will try to shoot you, Roxas. If he harms you, I don’t know what I’ll do.” Lea’s voice was thick.

     “Cover me. I trust you. You can do this.”

     Lea watched Roxas walk up to Myde slowly while Isa stood aiming for him. Lea had a spell for a barrier ready. Should Isa try anything now, it would be in vain. Roxas stood behind Myde, shielding him from Isa’s arrow. At Roxas’ command, Myde ran to Lea on trembling legs, frightened but unscathed. Isa fired his arrow half-heartedly. It hit the barrier and fell at Roxas’ feet.

     “Is that the best you can do?” Roxas taunted.

     “I will reveal the demon in you,” Isa said. “The one you have had whisper in my ear nights on end. You will not go unpunished.”

     Isa made a cut on the tip of his forefinger with the tip of an arrow. Lea had no time to do anything. A drop of Isa’s blood revealed an intricate trap on the ground with Roxas in the middle. It lit up in blinding white. The streaks of light became large arms that reached for Roxas, wrapped around him and burned into him.

     Roxas screamed in pain. He thrashed about for a few seconds, but the arms wrapped around closer still until his screams were but gasps for air. Whimpers escaped him in another agonized voice. Lea stood frozen as he witnessed Roxas being tossed in a ravaging sea once more after his long struggle to shore

    They had gone through enough to let it end like this. Whatever Isa’s intentions were, Lea had to put a stop to it.

 

 


	22. Cruelty

* * *

Lea had read of the dangers of blood magic. Liaisons with demons led to atrocious endings. The Chantry priestesses repeated the dangers like a mantra, but what choices did apostates have when everything worked against them? He trusted that Roxas knew what he was doing when it came to blood magic. Few mages Lea had encountered were as strong-willed and skilled as Roxas. To have made a deal with a demon, Roxas must have been on the verge of death.

    The ritual was tearing out the demon, threatening to cause irreparable damage to Roxas’ soul. Vanitas crackled with red lightning that revealed its faded contours. Tears of blood ran down Roxas’ pale cheeks. Lea struggled to breathe, paralyzed with horror.

    “Lea!” Myde screamed. “Help him!”

    At once, Lea ran toward Isa, chest heaving. With trembling hands, Lea gripped for the small dagger at the back of his belt, still uncertain about what to do.

  “You cannot harm me without harming him,” Isa said at seeing Lea. “The ritual binds me to his exorcism. I have already won this battle.”

  “If he dies, you die to. That demon will kill you, Isa. I can help you, but you have to stop this. Roxas is not at fault. He has been through enough already, so please…” Lea’s voice broke and he cleared his throat.

   “I am proving to you that your friend made a deal with a demon! And all you can do is plead for his life?!” Isa’s grip on his bow at his side grew tighter. “He used that demon against me, Lea. I could hear it speak. It followed me, watched me, spoke to my worst fears to scare me away. You are part of his deal with the demon. If he gets you, the deal will be sealed until your dying days.”

    Lea’s thoughts raced. The dagger was a comforting weight in his hand. Roxas would have no need to make a deal with a demon to keep Lea close. Lea would follow him to the end of the world out own free will.

    “Isa, I, I realize that now. I do.” Lea softened his tone. It seemed to dissolve the anger in Isa, if only momentarily. “I knew the second that arrow hit the ground. T-The spell lifted. But this is dangerous. You are letting the demon out. It will roam freely and attach itself to you. Let me take over.”

    Isa brushed his hair behind his ears and took notice of the heavy rain. His feet had sunk into the mud. It bothered him more than the cold-hearted murder he was performing.

    “I found the flower crown you left for me. It was a little wilted, but I loved it nonetheless.” Lea’s mouth was dry. His hands trembled and he gripped the dagger tighter to not have it fall out of his grasp.

    “I’m sorry it had to come to this.” Isa gazed at Lea. “The demon would not leave me be and I had to save you from it. I’m still fond of you…” Isa stepped closer tentatively, taking precious time Roxas did not have. “Lea, my heart, my loyalty still lies‒”

    Lea looked straight into Isa’s eyes when Isa’s knees buckled and he gripped at Lea’s arms at the sudden ache in his side. Blood warmed Lea’s cold hand. Isa let out a strangled breath when Lea stabbed the dagger back in, a softly spoken spell on his lips. To disrupt the ritual, Lea had to be stronger than Isa, stronger than Roxas. Vanitas had to be retained, put back to not break the union between it and Roxas. Blood magic was the only way. Lea’s blood would not be enough. Listening to the horror story of the greedy Tevinter magisters had finally brought something good. In their aspiration for power, they used blood magic, unlocked secrets that had granted them entry to the Golden City. They had used slaves as sacrifices for their power. Isa had to serve as Lea’s sacrifice to set this right.

    Isa fell to the ground, clutching at his wound with numb, trembling hands as his blood swirled around him. Vanitas roared at the power shift. The white lightning flickered at Lea’s command, loosening its vice grip on Roxas. The loud gasp for air had Lea nearly weep with relief. Roxas was still alive.

    “I’m here, Roxas,” said Lea with a trembling voice. “Fight it, you hear me? We have lavender fields to see and templars to escape.”

    Lea had his heart in his throat. His focus was solely on controlling the surge of power rushing through his veins with urgency and potency unlike any other Lea had experienced. Little by little, the white lightning broke down into small wisps. Lea dared not to cross into it until there was nothing but mud left where the trap had been set. Roxas sat on his knees, swaying with every breeze that struck him. The rain washed the blood off his face, but not the amber scarring on his corneas. Lea ran the distance between them and pulled him into a tight embrace. He wept quietly. Never had he been as near to losing Roxas as he had been now. But the Maker had watched over them and saved Roxas from the brink of death once more.

     Myde hurried to them and embraced them both, trembling still with fear and shock.

     “Are you alright?” Myde asked at last. “Is it over?”

     “We need to get Roxas dry,” Lea said and helped Roxas to his feet.

    “Is he…?” Roxas voice was raw. Bruises were already blooming on his neck. Every movement had him wince in pain. Yet he used what little strength he had to point to where Isa lay.

      “I will take care of it,” Lea said impatiently. “Go inside with Myde. You are weakened, Roxas.”

      “You’re not gonna need help?” Myde asked carefully.

      “Just go inside.”

      Lea waited until the door to the main house closed behind Myde and Roxas to look back at Isa. He lay on his back, facing Lea’s way. He did not move. The spell had needed much power, Lea had not restrained himself in countering the ritual. Isa’s skin was bleak. His empty veins cast dark shadows against his pale complexion, his lips parted in his last draw for breath. Lea held his hand over his mouth and looked away at the nausea that swept over him.

    Isa had brought this on himself, Lea thought. He had tampered with that which lay beyond his powers and paid for it with his life. It was another lie amongst many Lea told himself. Isa’s biggest mistake was to have put his trust in Lea.

 

 


	23. Sky

* * *

Myde sat next to Roxas, gently rubbing his back over the three blankets he had wrapped him in, his face soft with sympathy. They turned to Lea when they heard him walk in with heavy steps.

    “What happened?” Roxas tried to rise to his feet, but Myde advised against it and kept him seated. “Did he do anything to you? Lea?” His voice was barely audible past the shivering and hoarseness. No one could look at him now and think that he had a demon attached to his soul, yet that was their reality.

   Lea shook his head in response. The power surge of the countering spell had left him drained of energy. A small part of him wanted another surge, but the insistent image of Isa’s lifeless body had etched itself into his mind and turned any urge for more blood magic into debilitating nausea.

    “Myde, leave us,” Lea said weakly.

    “What are you going to do?” Myde rose reluctantly and frowned at Lea’s request.

    “Talk. Please, leave.”

    Myde walked into his room, but did not close the door after himself.

    “Is he under the demon’s control?” Lea asked.

   Roxas turned his attention to his hands on the table and tried to clear his throat before he had to settle with a soft shake of his head for an answer.

  “Was I?” Lea sat down on a chair next to Roxas. His chest ached hollow. If the demon had somehow influenced him to do it, Lea could at least find comfort in knowing that Isa’s death had been beyond his control.

    “No,” Roxas said in a whisper and dared to look back at Lea. “I just wanted to find you. I was lost, persecuted, my comrades fell one by one and there was nothing I could do to help them. If I could find my way back to you, I could reclaim some of what they had taken from me.”

    “Did it do anything to Isa?” Lea placed his hand over Roxas’ gently.  Tears filled Roxas’ eyes and his voice disappeared for a moment before he could speak again.

    “He was supposed to leave, nothing else. Vanitas knew that Isa sensed him and he was worried that Isa would turn you against me. He tried to scare Isa away, but the more Isa resisted the more certain Vanitas became that he intended to hurt us. Lea, I swear, Vanitas is not going to hurt me. All he wants is to exist in this world, experience it. He would not hurt a fly.”

    “He’s a demon, Roxas!”

    “He was - is - a spirit. The Circle got it wrong, like it got so many other things wrong. Demons are spirits corrupted by desire or pride or greed, but not all of them will overthrow you to turn you into an abomination.” Roxas paused, helpless in the face of Lea’s doubt. “I’m not an abomination,” he said quietly, tears running down his face.

    “No, you’re not,” Lea agreed.

    “Will you travel with me to Denerim still?” Roxas asked, hope and fear in his eyes.

   “With you, I would go to the end of the world, Roxas,” Lea said with a heavy heart. As true as it was, he wished their circumstances had been different and that Isa had not crossed his path.

-x-

The rain ceased. The clouds dissolved. The events of the night became distant memories before it was over. Roxas’ bruises were harsh reminders. No amount of healing could have them dissolve like the rainclouds. The damage had been spiritual, but Roxas assured both Myde and Lea that he was going to recuperate.

    Lea and Roxas still had to leave for Denerim. Isa could have come in contact with templars and revealed their whereabouts to them. But before they could leave, they had to care for one last thing they could not leave to Myde alone. Isa had to be buried before anyone from the village saw him. Neither Myde nor Roxas were enticed by the idea of holding a proper burial for Isa. Myde had fetched a hemp sack large enough to cover Isa and tied it to his dark horse. On the hill behind the stables, Myde said the ground was soft. Digging a trench would be easy and quick. Isa was dragged up the hill by the dark horse Lea had seen him ride a few days ago.

    Mud had set in Isa’s hair and clothes. He was covered in specks of blood that Lea had not used. Lea could not close his eyes without hearing waves splash against the shore where he had lain on a halla pelt next to a campfire with Isa on the other side, stringing his bow should he need to fend of Darkspawn. He had stayed beside Lea against his Keeper’s wish.

    Lea fell behind to not have to watch Isa and catch glimpses of his sickly white skin and the web of veins discoloring it. There were flowers along the way, none which he knew the name of or had seen before. Lea picked them at random, unable to look at them, even as he rearranged them restlessly.

    The trench was dug as quickly as Myde had predicted. A light push was all it took to have the sack with Isa inside roll down into the trench and hit ground with a thud. Shoveling the dirt back over it was even less of an effort. In a few weeks time, the grass would have grown back. This spot would be the same as any other on this hill and the countless others all over Ferelden.

    As Myde and Roxas walked back, Lea approached the stirred piece of land, his breath caught in his throat. The bouquet of flowers he placed on the unmarked grave was puny and chaotic. It lacked the coherence and elegance he so often had admired about the flower crowns Isa had given him. Lea looked up at the cerulean blue sky above, his throat tight until the breath caught in his throat dissolved into a muffled sob and brought about another rainfall.

 

 


	24. Epilogue

* * *

_To my dear friends,_

_I hope this letter finds you well and at peace. With my farm expanding in both land and workers, I have had very little time for correspondence. Three of my cows gave birth in these past two weeks and I was there for each and every one. I am still the village sweetheart. How could I not with my charms being what they are?_

_The farm has not been the same without you here to accompany me for late night gambles. As soon as I find time for vacation, rest assured I will come to visit._

_I write to you to report about a line rather curious occurrences. Elves from Dalish clans have been sighted and many have come to my frontdoor. Imagine my surprise! I thought I was to stare Death in the eye once more, but lo’, the elves wanted nothing more of me than directions. They all asked me about flowers and I told them that all flowers I knew of were to be found in my flowerbeds._

_At the fifth request, my interest peaked and I had no choice but to inquire about this flower they all sought. With so many elves, I thought I had found myself a new source of income (can never have too many of those, right, lads?). The flower they seek is one used for a wedding tradition and word had gotten around that I had them growing in my backyard after one of them elves found it._

_Where evil lies buried, a majestic plant has sprouted. The flowers are as beautiful as Andraste, they smell like rose gardens, and the elves call it ‘Mythal’s Grace’. I will make a fortune._

_The Maker be with you._

_Yours truly,_

_Myde Hathersage_

 

 


End file.
